First Time in 14 Months
That's how long it's been since I last painted. I did three assemblages in 2005, but no paintings. I finally started one the other day, and it felt like coming home.
Of course, this being the way life goes, it was interrupted by a doctor's appointment on Friday which left me exhausted, since I had to fast for a range of blood tests. This weekend I'm experiencing dramatic ups and downs in energy levels. I'm working on the painting, it is going well, but my stamina is in the pits. The test results will come back in a day or two, and we are pretty sure the diagnosis will be definitive, as it is clear something is wrong. I am exhausted after mild exertion, to the point of going very pale and cold, and my skin, eyes, and mouth have been exceedingly dry for quite some time and getting worse. The diet has quieted the joint pain and eliminated a lot of water weight, but the other problems are still quite pronounced. So I am sort of in waiting mode.
Our friends called up this morning to invite us over for dinner tonight and I am grateful. Steve made dinner for us last night. Two days without worrying about meal prep helps me to get some painting done in spite of the fatigue.
Anyway, the painting seems to be taking up where I left off, which was compositions of somewhat abstracted people in somewhat less abstracted settings. I gravitate toward this method because it offers both familiarity and mystery, and allows me to depict the mundane without the sentimentality which often plagues domestic or simple themes. The scene in this current painting is also very different, being a street scene, as opposed to an interior or a dream space. As of this time it seems to be attempting some kind of comment on the desire for security among unknown variables.
I am also still trying to formulate a grant proposal, but so far not having much luck with it. It's my own fault, but I am not giving up yet. I've also been reading a lot of articles online about developing a career in art, and saving the ones I like in a folder. A computer in the studio is a wonderful thing. I've downloaded RealPlayer and can now play classical music for free from an online radio station while I paint. I can hear the treble pretty well if I crank up the volume, and it's very soothing.
Yesterday at the coffee shop an acquaintance who bought one of my paintings a couple of years ago said she is moving to a new apartment and wants to commission me to do a big painting for her new space! So that makes twice in one week people have expressed a desire for my work--it gives me that little extra confirmation at a time when money is tight and health is iffy.
Of course, this being the way life goes, it was interrupted by a doctor's appointment on Friday which left me exhausted, since I had to fast for a range of blood tests. This weekend I'm experiencing dramatic ups and downs in energy levels. I'm working on the painting, it is going well, but my stamina is in the pits. The test results will come back in a day or two, and we are pretty sure the diagnosis will be definitive, as it is clear something is wrong. I am exhausted after mild exertion, to the point of going very pale and cold, and my skin, eyes, and mouth have been exceedingly dry for quite some time and getting worse. The diet has quieted the joint pain and eliminated a lot of water weight, but the other problems are still quite pronounced. So I am sort of in waiting mode.
Our friends called up this morning to invite us over for dinner tonight and I am grateful. Steve made dinner for us last night. Two days without worrying about meal prep helps me to get some painting done in spite of the fatigue.
Anyway, the painting seems to be taking up where I left off, which was compositions of somewhat abstracted people in somewhat less abstracted settings. I gravitate toward this method because it offers both familiarity and mystery, and allows me to depict the mundane without the sentimentality which often plagues domestic or simple themes. The scene in this current painting is also very different, being a street scene, as opposed to an interior or a dream space. As of this time it seems to be attempting some kind of comment on the desire for security among unknown variables.
I am also still trying to formulate a grant proposal, but so far not having much luck with it. It's my own fault, but I am not giving up yet. I've also been reading a lot of articles online about developing a career in art, and saving the ones I like in a folder. A computer in the studio is a wonderful thing. I've downloaded RealPlayer and can now play classical music for free from an online radio station while I paint. I can hear the treble pretty well if I crank up the volume, and it's very soothing.
Yesterday at the coffee shop an acquaintance who bought one of my paintings a couple of years ago said she is moving to a new apartment and wants to commission me to do a big painting for her new space! So that makes twice in one week people have expressed a desire for my work--it gives me that little extra confirmation at a time when money is tight and health is iffy.
posted by meg at 1:19 PM
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