They've Got Gold Trouble

They've Got Gold Trouble (temporary title, still considering other options)
Gouache on paper mounted on board (it will soon also get a coat of acrylic on top)
12" x 12"

Apparently, it took me exactly one year to finish this painting. (Well, I finished it sometime after midnight, so I suppose technically it was a year and a day...)

Looking through my archives, this first photo was taken Feb 19, 2010, and this was how this painting started — a pour and 3 spritzes with a water bottle that created the 3 bulbous spots:



I didn't work on it again until October of 2010, when I needed a demo piece for Portland Open Studios and I thought this looked like a demo in the making. During the two weekends, I worked on this on and off in between talking to people. I really didn't have anything in mind, it was meant to be a demo piece, something I could do while talking at the same time. But I wanted to preserve the three bulbous forms, I really liked those, for whatever reason. And at the end of two weekends, I had:



It was January, 2011 before I got back to it, hoping to finish it in time for the PCPA exhibit, but I didn't finish in time. The bulbous forms turned into seahorses. I hadn't ever done seahorses before, although I've always love them and have a collection of images I've kept from my 30 years of Natural HIstory subscriptions (my 20 year old neighbor was really impressed that I've subscribed to a magazine for THAT long):



Betwen January and February, I worked on it on and off between putting together 3 other applications. And then I got pretty well stuck on it. I had decided that the three seahorses were really Rheinmaidens (I saw Das Rheingold at the Met Simulcast somewhere along the line in there), but I really didn't know how to proceed from there.

When I get stuck on something, one way I get myself unstuck is to do something 'drastic' in red. In the past, I've poured red over an entire piece, I've poured red over most of a piece, but in here, I've made red waves. It's just something that forces me to react and to do something other than to sit there, stare and wonder what the heck I'm going to do next.



From Valentines Day on until Saturday night, I worked on it pretty intensely, while listening to the BBC news about the protests in North Africa, Middle East (and Wisconsin). How much does that have to do with the finished painting? I don't know.

Although I managed to preserve the bulbous forms (at least two of the three), I lost the lines of drippy paint in the process. I wanted to bring those back...and so I did, in the final stage (top photo).

MiT, 3rd senior, day 1

This was an exciting day. My 3rd senior, I think I mentioned already, is a painter; although she no longer paints. Living in a small apartment limits what you can do. We made a print based on one of her painting (from a photograph), and it worked out REALLY well. I may just have to scan it in and post it.

And I finally came to the conclusion that I want a slightly different design for the folding screens so that the plexis don't stick out from the wooden frame. Mocked up the new design and sent it off to my cabinet maker. We'll see what he says about the cost.

I'm being very distracted right now, listening to different renditions of Una Furtiva Lagrima by various tenors. This all started this weekend when we saw La Fille Du Regiment with Juan Diego Florez. He's been getting raves for his 9 high C's in Ah! Mes Amis. During the opening performance, the audience interrupted the performance with a standing ovation and they repeated it, right in the middle of the opera! When we saw it, the audience was definitely very enthusiastic, although there was no repeat performance.

Not sure if it was the hype or what, but I was somewhat disappointed. A very nice voice, and he certainly can hit the notes, and plus he's VERY cute. But I think I prefer a richer, fuller bodied tenor voice. Anyhow, the Good Prince must've mentioned this to another friend (a huge fan of Florez's), and he sent an mp3 of Rolando Villazon doing Una Furtiva Lagrima, and then there I was, off on youtube, listening all the different renditions of it.

And I found an interview with Florez, who says of himself that he has a lighter voice, not a full bodied voice. So at least I wasn't making it up.

A new day, a new love

Yesterday, the orange tabby; today, the castrato! Well, ok, the countertenor, but I bet 'castrato' got your attention.

Listen to Andreas Scholl sing Stabat Mater in D Minor here, written specifically for him. And he looks to be a real cutie patootie too. Actually, he looks somewhat like Joshua Bell, if slightly bulkier and not quite as boyish looking. I got my 'Best of...' CD yesterday and have been listening to it all night as I worked. I'm going to have to get a real stereo. And more of his CD's. (Yes, I'm belatedly discovering Scholl, not being a big fan of Baroque music, but I'm coming around!) Kathleen Battle, Deborah Voight, and Andreas Scholl!

[Speaking of Kathleen Battle (the Divine KB), anecdote time: the Good Prince and I got married almost exactly 17 years ago, on our way into work. The next day, we both went off on business trips, on different flights. Although we were going to the same conference, and we did end up staying at the same hotel. We had no plans for a 'honeymoon,' a concept that always struck me as a little silly. Anyhow, people at work gave us so much trouble over that that, a few months later, when I saw that KB was having her debut at Carnegie Hall, we decided to go. So after dinner at Carnegie Deli, we walked over to Carnegie Hall. And as always, I was walking in one direction and looking in another. I looked back in time, just as I was about to bump into someone. I did a double take, because that someone was the Divine KB herself! I let out a surprised 'oh!' She was just as surprised, and let out a giggle. That was my brush with greatness.]

Work wise, finally got Pudding #23 finished, stuffed in the envelopes, stamped and ready to go. Evidence:



It is a miracle!

On other fronts—prepared for my day at rsm tomorrow, and more Portland Open Studios stuff.

The (not so) fat lady sings...and can she ever!

Being an opera singer gets harder and harder all the time. It used to be that they could just stand around and sing. But then people demanded that they act, and so they started acting. Soon people wanted more telegenic and not so fat singers, and so they slimmed down (most famously with Deborah Voight's weight loss surgery). And now, with the HD telecast in movie theaters, they must have perfect complexion as well.

Fortunately, so far, they all seem to! It's really quite amazing, to see these gods and goddesses, glorious sounds pouring out of their mouths, their faces 20' high on the movie screen, and not a blemish on their radiant complexion. That can't all be the magic of makeup, right? I mean, if they have a zit, or a wrinkle, it's going to show up...right?

I finally got to see and hear Deborah Voight today, the 5 hour opera marathon of the Met's HD simulcast of Tristan und Isolde, starring Deborah Voight as Isolde and a revolving door of tenors as Tristan. (Today's Tristan was her 4th Tristan in as many performances...I guess it's jinxed. One got sick, one got bunked on the head, not sure what happened to the 3rd. Glad to report that there were no mishaps today.)

And wow, wow, wow, what a great performance! I had only seen still photos of Deborah Voight before (and all from before the surgery), and I have to say that her size was first thing you noticed (well, I noticed, anyways). But in a live performance, she's a lovely, beautiful performer, as well as a fantastic singer, and you never notice her size at all (and I'd bet that even before surgery, she was just as lovely a performer). I'd love to hear her sing Turandot, although that does not appear to be on the list of roles she does.

[A slight distraction, during which I bought 3 CD, one with Deborah Voight, of course; a second of Rodelinda, which I've wanted to do for a while; and a third of Andreas Scholl. I also found a bunch of Andreas Scholl videos on youtube and fell in love!]

OK, so that was all so NOT in the studio today. I did finish prepping for the Portland Open Studios jurying process tomorrow. I guess I'm calling it a day.

Shipping matted prints

Getting flat boxes of a specific size isn't so easy, as it turns out. I managed to get an assortment today from Utrech's, Art Media, and Pearl Framing, mostly boxes that papers and sheets of glass are shipped in. I needed something slightly bigger than 16"x20", and all I could get were 30"x40".

Anyhow, due to the shoutout from L&TM5K, one of his many readers surfed to my web site, checked out the new The Store page, and bought a print! The Mysterious Gift Horse! So a flat box was suddenly necessary. (I'm not complaining, you of the many M5K's, but you're the Real Thang, we know that.)

With a box cutter and enough packing tape, you could make a box of any size, probably. So I was able to pack up the print in a more or less appropriately sized box. And it looks pretty darn sturdy too.

Most of the day was spent in town. First, there was the "jury duty" at Print Arts (to jury in new members), then it was off to get tickets for the Marchel Khalife concert, which is almost sold out, so I was glad to be able to get the tickets. In between, I ran an errand for Print Arts, and went around looking for boxes.

And the day is done, just like that.

Overpriced CD, slightly, maybe?

Thanks to Mr. Michael5000 for point out that that Simon Shaheen CD is now priced at over $100! How weird. I thought those Amazon prices were fixed prices (and not like an auction). I guess I better take good care of mine. I read the reviews, and yes, it's a wonderful recording, although it's probably not my favorite at the moment. But over $100?

Spent the day doing the last bit of shopping for class supplies -- graph paper, weatherstripping (yes, weatherstripping), packaging tape, etc; copied class handouts; copied Pudding Notes.

And speaking of Pudding, I decided last night that there will be just 2 more issues of Pudding, which will take the publication to the end of 2007, and I will be done with it. By then, I will have put out 24 issues; I'm starting to run out of ideas for what to test with each issue, and I think people are losing interest as well -- I've gone from about 80 subscribers to 45 (as of this issue). I will now only take new subscriptions starting with issue #20. And at the end of the year, anyone left with a subscription will start to receive a new publication -- small artist's books published every 4 months. The new publication will be finished artist's books, unlike Pudding, which was meant as tests, and each issue goes out warts and all. Whatever happens during the print run, it goes out to subscribers as is, with Pudding Notes detailing what happened, what went wrong, what went right. I'm thinking the new publication will be more in line with something like the french fries book (official title More Than Plenty, photo below), which surprisingly, has been a hugely popular book, and I'm about to sell out of my edition of 50 (just 2 more left). It's going to be in the Maryhill show next.

Gocco class preparations

Class starts on Thursday. Started to prepare the notes (reviewing and updating existing notes), supply list, all manners of handouts, etc. But everything kept on getting interrupted because I kept on having to get up and dance around the room periodically. Had the music going all day...I'm in one of my dance phases again -- put on CD's I haven't listened to for a while and dance around with a big grin on my face. Lets see, today I dug out this Simon Shaheen CD (according to this Amazon listing, there's none available from Amazon, but there's a used one for sale at $78.79! ??).

The movie tonight was Knocked Up. I didn't have high hopes, since I didn't like The 40 Year Old Virgin. But that was the movie that won the Random Selection tonight (choices were Mighty Heart, Knocked Up, and Paris, Je T'aime), and off we went. But it turned out to be a rather sweet movie. Very likable.

It's one of those days...

Lock myself out of the car. In some residential area with hardly another soul visible.

Find the spare key, but it doesn't work. Realize I left my cell phone at home.

Accost some strangers happen to be walking by for their cell phone; call AAA roadside assistance.

Strangers leave; AAA on its way.

I keep trying the spare key. And I get in! Of course, AAA already on its way, maybe, and stranger's phone no longer available. Drive home like a maniac, in time to call AAA to cancel.

Phew. OK, I deserve some strawberries after this ordeal. Go out to pick some berries, only to find that SOMEONE STOLE MY STRAWBERRIES! In fact, there's not a shred of evidence that I ever had any strawberries at all!

It's not like the birds or squirrels, or even slugs, who take a bite out of each berry, leaving you with a patch of half eaten strawberries. There's not a thing out there, not even some red drippings or strawberry bits on the ground, not even some green berries. Somebody took them all.

Go grocery shopping. OK, I'll get myself a Swedish Cream with strawberries, something New Seasons always has. Only not today. Mike says, "of course not, it's one of those days."

It's one of those days that if we had a TV, I would've rented a movie to waste the night away. But we don't have a TV, so I go out for my 2 mile walk and do my weights instead. (Good girrrrl.) And afterward, put on my Songs and Music of Kurdistan and dance around the living room for half an hour, and I'm happy again. I hadn't listened to that CD regularly for many years. And now I'm listening to John Bilezikjian (this and this) on my computer as I complain.

(Oops, I forgot I wasn't even going to complain on this blog.)

And I shouldn't complain, really. Here's someone who's really having some trouble -- Alice, whose web site I did a few years back, discovered that her web site had been stolen. That's the nature of the html beast, yes, but these guys (the thieves) are so inept -- not only can you still see Alice's artwork poking out underneath their badly pasted in photographs -- they left in Alice's original meta data, and they left in Alice's statcounter code as well. So yes, people looking for Alice's artwork can accidentally end up on their web site, and all the hits on their web site are registering on Alice's statcounter as well, which is how she discovered this to start out with. So I spent a little time putting in new security code for her web site this afternoon, so at least she doesn't have those cluttering up her statcounter anymore. But in the mean time, she's been obsessed with following their trail, writing to people all over the world, from Mumbai to Dubai. Hey, I just went over to check on the thieves' site, and looks like they took it down!

Something went right today, finally!

It doesn't take very much

It doesn't take very much to snow Portland in, and we got 4" this morning. Kids were all out on the streets sledding. I had figured that I'd be eating leftovers tonight and that Mike would get stuck at work, but then he came home early and we decided to make a grocery store run instead. That kind of knocked me off my original intention to work on the shadow book this afternoon...like I say, it doesn't take very much sometimes. Plus, my new Mimi Spencer and Mary Ellen Donald CD and sheet music arrived already from http://www.maqam.com/. Much sooner than I had anticipated (wonderful service). I spent the afternoon listening to the CD and following along in the sheet music.

And of course, immediately after I decided that I wasn't going to pursue Western classical violin lessons any more because more and more I found it boring, I heard Joshua Bell's performance of Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 and loved it. Ended up buying the Itzhak Perlman version of it, and am now eyeing the sheet music too. It's probably way too hard for my skill level, but what the heck.