CARE ABOUT OTHERS

On scattered and quite irregular occasions I have posted excerpts from my book, Have I told you today that I love you. a book written for my children, and their children.


Oil pastel on clay mono type...12x12"

CARE ABOUT OTHERS

Your relationship with others will be as varied as the people you encounter and will be determined by many factors, not the least of which will be your own personality and psychological style. But regardless of who and what you are, there are certain basic tenets that I would urge you to follow.

Be respectful of others, regardless of their position in our socio-economic conscious society. Be your real self with both the room maid and the hotel manager.

Be tolerant of ideas, beliefs, and behavior that differ from yours; no one has a monopoly on the truth.

With grace forgive the weaknesses of others and do not judge what you may perceive to be their shortcomings.

Forgive first offenses. Overlook minor slights.

Enable and nurture; be one who helps other achieve their own selfhood. Act in such a way that others will feel better for knowing you.


Be honest toward others. Do not present yourself to be other than who you are. And do not deceive or use others to achieve your own way or goals.


Be gracious and humble about your own accomplishments and success and be mindful of those blessings you have been given. You did nothing to be born into a loving and supportive family and to have the economic advantages so many others lack. Do not be so quick to take credit for what you perceive are you own accomplishments, more often than not there were many forces not of your own doing, that helped shape them.

Do not take credit for God’s grace.

THE STUDIO DAYS

seem to roll seamlessly into one another at a pace that is anything but hectic. There is no urgency to the work, for which I am very grateful. I currently have 3 works in progress: another clay drawing and 2 watercolors. If I can ever overcome the inertia I will begin working on another acrylic. About a week ago I posted the early stage of one of the watercolors, a pair of palaces. Since then I have completed the drawing and today applied thin wash of warm color over the entire surface.


on the Piazza Maggiore...watercolor in progress...22x30

The next step will be to begin painting the architecture, and given my work habits, that may not take place for another 2 or 3 days, or longer.

In the meantime, there is always another clay drawing waiting for my attention.


Piazza del Popolo in Ravenna...clay drawing...aprox. 7x21


Markets...clay drawing...7x12

I CAN'T STOP EATING THE POTATO CHIPS

Well they aren't really potato chips, they're clay mono types, and I'm not eating them, I'm drawing on them. But the desire for more is the same. I could start thinking about what I'm doing...actually over thinking is a more accurate description of what I do...but I won't! I'm simply having too much fun, and I plan on continue doing so as long as the fun lasts. Here are the latest to come off the drawing table:

apox. 12x15"


3x3"

3x1 1/2"

A PAIR OF PALACES,

that sit side by side and contribute boundaries to 3 of Bologna's central piazzas, Piazza Maggiore, Piazza del Nettuno (Neptune) and Piazza re Enzo. The Palazzo Re Enzo is the larger structure on left, and the side, or end view of the Palozzo Podesta is on the right.





I've decided to render these 2 palaces (which really appear to be one structure) in watercolor, creating a project that will provide me with several weeks of satisfying work and challenges similar to the Castello Estense painting last month. As before, the composition is an elevation drawing, done initially in pencil and then lined with sepia ink.



And to add a little fun to my day...there is always a clay drawing to do. This one, titled DINING OUT, was inspired by a photo taken in Castellini in Chianti 2 years ago.



Clay drawing aprox. 10x14

GROWING...EVOLVING...

A challenge for every artist is keeping his or her work fresh and interesting. It is easy to stay within the comfort zone of familiarity, especially if the work has received critical and/or commercial success. There are no formulas or rules that one can turn to for guidance. Only with an honest self assessment of the work will the artist recognize the need to begin to push the boundaries of the comfort zone. This does not mean every piece of work must be different or ground breaking. On the contrary, there is a valuable learning experience in doing a series or body of work where small but significant nuances can be learned from each piece, in spite of the similarities. It is only after these lessons or advances cease that the work runs the risk of becoming tired and stale.

For the past 2 months I have been working with clay drawings, enjoying the fun and excitement they have generated, in part, bringing me back to my roots...whimsical, urban landscapes. They are still teaching me something, and I am not ready to move away from them but am aware that it is time I begin pushing at the boundaries, exploring how they can evolve and still retain their freshness. In retrospect I’ve already been doing this, adding more color, using acrylic paints for highlights, and exploring expanded compositions. To date the process has been rather simple and straight forward...I’m not sure how, but I suspect that will soon change.

Here is the first clay drawing I did about 2 months ago:



This piece was completed about 4 weeks ago:



The most recent clay drawing:



Older than the others...clay drawing...10x12

There is always something to look forward to in the studio...old and new!

THREE PAINTINGS,

one watercolor, one acrylic, and one clay drawing to add to my growing inventory of "Italian art". The acrylic has been on the easel for about 2 weeks, the watercolor took one week from start to finish, and the clay drawing 2 days.


Italian countryside...acrylic...18x24


untitled clay drawing...aprox. 8x24


Looking at Ancona...watercolor...aprox. 10x18

It is time to move on...if we don't allow our art to evolve and grow, it becomes tired and stale. More about this on my next post.

A STEADY STATE

seems to be an apt description of my days over the past several weeks. My efforts in the studio are unhurried, intermittent, but in the end, consistent. I currently have 4 pieces in progress, 1 clay drawing, 1 acrylic, and 2 watercolors. I will have pics of them for my next post.

Two days ago I completed this clay drawing, based loosely on photos from my afternoon in Parma.


Via Garibaldi in Parma

The next piece is a small mixed media...pastel pencil, ink, and markers from a photo in Bologna.