Nautilus

I quickly altered the background to submit this to the Judith Klein Gallery for a February Show. The Gallery wanted "bright" colors for a February Love theme show. This is about as bright as I could take it and maintain the integrity of the piece.

Nautilus

This painting is oil on board and 6"x15". At first I planned to paint in an illustrative manner mimicing scientific drawings and leaving the red background. Now I've decided to place the shells on a dark ground with reflections. I will also change the blue-gray shade of the left shell to a pink-ochre color. The nautilus has survived millions of years virtually unchanged. It is from the same family as the octopus; its shell is its skeleton. As Oliver Wnedell Holmes wrote,

Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul, As the swift seasons roll! Leave thy low-vaulted past! Let each new temple, nobler than the last, Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast, Till thou at length art free, Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea

!

Daturas

I worked the far ground more extensively, adding some subtle plants and leaves. Also worked the center datura.

Daturas

I decided I didn't like the far ground area at all. It was amateurish and trite. The straight lines of the boards were also incongruous with the curvilinear aspects of the plant. In place of the house, I will just have a deep space that indicates plants.

Daturas

I feel I'm not a very good blogger. After painting I never feel like putting in the time to write about it. I guess the work must speak for itself. And, if there is some soul that looks at the work beyond me and has questions, fire away.

Daturas

Worked about 4 hours today. Finished up the whelk painting and then went at the lower front datura blossom. Maybe tomorrow it will begin to work as I want.

Daturas

Looking at these images side by side clearly illustrates the problems associated with digital photography and screen images. Color shifts, fuzziness and lost details are some of those problems. I've been occupied with other things this week and only been in the studio for a few minutes at a time. Yesterday we went to see the new Isabella Stewart Gardner wing in Boston. I have some thoughts on the new wing. Don't know if they hold water or not. They are just initial reactions. First, I don't like the strong green copper sheathing and warehouse-like exterior. I would prefer something more victorian era Bostonian. Why not complement the palace rather than contradict it. But, I also understand that this is not Gardner's palace. It is a place for artists, new work, conservation, etc. However, if I was a neighbor I would be very displeased looking at a box. As for the interior, I loved it. In addition to opening the walls with glass to the skyline, the gardens and the palace, it is physically comfortable. The stairs were a perfect pitch and incline for me. The flooring seemed soft although it was slate (?). The colors were so much fun in the cafe, living room and bathrooms. The Calderwood Hall with its small footprint and 3 levels of one row deep balconies is a perfect mirror for the Gardner's atrium. Finally, I wanted to buy everything in the store.