I haven't painted in - like - forever! Last night I went to WRS and joined in on the Thurs evening pastel studio class. It felt really good to be with a bunch of other people doing what we like to do. Have I ever told you how much I love, just love, the texture you can get with pastels? Soooo luscious.

Building

Rust with shimmer, worn wood with patina, the old, the vintage and the interesting...these are things that I am drawn to and covet in antique stores, estate sales, auctions and junk piles. I have been inspired to create an assemblage for months. Today I gathered some treasures, started altering them a bit and attaching them together. The finished piece measures about 9" long & 6" wide. It looks kind of cool hanging on the wall.

Roots

I spent most of the weekend steam cleaning carpets and upholstery - wheeee...lots of fun....but at 4pm this afternoon I started messing around with a gelatin plate that I had stuck in the fridge this morning. I was going after imagery that would evoke remind one of this time of the year. I think I'm going to call this Song of the Shawangunks.

Yesterday at the Wallkill River School I gave a class on abstract painting that turned into being more of a Mixed Media abstract art class. We had a ton of fun and the 6 hrs (whew!) flew by. The participants were amazing. They were adventurous and dug right into creating texture and images with found objects, rubbing alcohol, plastic, molding paste, etc. I brought my camera but - of course - forgot to take photos. The piece above is what I created. We're going to do the class again in November and they want to mess around with the 'fabric paper' that I make. I heard a few "oooohs" when I described this mixed media 'paper' that is made from sheer fabric and can be either machine or hand stitched. I'll try to remember to take photos during that session!

Sometimes it's a good idea to let things set for awhile before deciding if they are done or not. Case in point, I added more to this painting afterwards - after wondering if it was done. It's much better I think than before...looks more like my voice....lots of layering and complexity.

How do YOU know?

I started this acrylic painting yesterday and arrived at this point today. I never know when or if enough is enough. Is this painting finished? Or should I go for more layers? Are there rules? If so, what are they???? When I started this I was going after a textured painting with an organic nature. I'm contemplating layering more organic shapes and marks but I dunno...I just dunno.

Yesterday we went to a benefit show to raise money to help maintain the arts in the Saugerties school district. Saugerties and Woodstock are sister towns and, as such, can lay claim to being the stomping ground of many fine - very fine - musicians. Besides other world class musicians Theresa Williams, Larry Campbell and Amy Helm performed an incredible set of their gospel inspired music. Larry Campbell (do a web search) is a 2 time Grammy winner who has toured and played with Bob Dylan among others. Amy is Levon's daughter and a founding member of Ollabelle whose gospel/roots music brought healing to the NYC's lower east side right after 9/11. Apparently Ollabelle's music reasonated with so many people seeking solace that every Sunday night the club they played at would be packed with a diverse crowd ranging from punk rockers to financial execs. Theresa's clear, strong and gutsy voice and her strong stage presence added a depth and dimension to the trio that made you sit up and listen.

I love Ulster County and, while there are many other beautiful places, I really can't imagine living anywhere else. This morning I was inspired to create a roots type of painting. Other than the music that comes out of these hills, what evokes Ulster County more than the Catskills and a red farm building?