Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 6" x 8"I'm sure by now everyone has given up on me, but for those still checking in, I assure you I am fine and still creating art. I have been working on a commission that ate up a bunch of time, then I left for the West coast to visit my daughter, granddaughters Sonny and Willow and my new grandson - Jonahven Infinity. They live in Ashland, Oregon, the epicenter of hippydom on Earth. The town is an exciting amalgam of art, theatre, music and strange interesting characters. It's a pity that it is so difficult to get to, as I would love to be able to visit more often, not only to see my daughter and grandchildren but to experience the Shakespeare Festival that it is home to. Every year 600,000 people make a trek to this quirky little town to see some of the Bard's plays performed on an outdoor Elizabethan Stage patterned after the Globe Theatre. As it is, one must fly into Salt Lake City and catch a puddle jumper to Medford or fly into Portland and drive five hours. Ugh.
The first Wednesday of the month the Daily painters group that I belong to has a theme challenge. This month it was "Celebrating Mom" in honor of Mother's Day. The work was supposed to be posted yesterday but I had other fish to fry so here it is, better late than never. My granddaughters attend the "Willow Wind" school which had a May Day celebration complete with May pole and floral wreathes. Quite apropos, given the populace. This is a painting of my daughter Holly and with her new little boy. Perhaps I've seen the Lord of the Rings too many times as there is an elfish quality about them, which is rather fitting, seeing as Holly's middle name is Lórien. Oops, my early hippy roots are showing.
The first Wednesday of the month the Daily painters group that I belong to has a theme challenge. This month it was "Celebrating Mom" in honor of Mother's Day. The work was supposed to be posted yesterday but I had other fish to fry so here it is, better late than never. My granddaughters attend the "Willow Wind" school which had a May Day celebration complete with May pole and floral wreathes. Quite apropos, given the populace. This is a painting of my daughter Holly and with her new little boy. Perhaps I've seen the Lord of the Rings too many times as there is an elfish quality about them, which is rather fitting, seeing as Holly's middle name is Lórien. Oops, my early hippy roots are showing.
23 comments:
this is stunning!
What a classically beautiful painting. Thank you for your story,it was captivating to read your adventures. Ashland is really a kick.
Thanks, Olha.
Thanks, Naquaiya. I didn't mention the culinary aspect of our trip. Eating seaweed wafers and other miscellaneous organic food(?) walking through Lithia Park was a new experience.
I love nori with shrimp or salmon and sweet sticky rice. I make it with the above + pickled ginger threads and sesame seeds, yum
Mark, the new grandson and Holly look magically tranquil..amd She does indeed look fairy-like... a lovely composition!
Naquaiya - Sushi has no greater friend than I, but eating brittle, paper thin, glassine wafers of nori without the fish and rice was odd. I have to admit it grew on me, though it was probably that I was desperately hungry. When I was forced to go sailing as a boy, the only things to eat on the boat were canned sardines in mustard and stale saltine crackers. My dad was a mighty sailing man, a skipper brave and sure. He ate anything. This 10 year old boy had no eyes for tinned fish but I ate them anyway. I convinced my wife, Susan, to try the nori. She proceeded to do her Tom Hanks impersonation from the movie "Big" when he ate caviar for the first time, at the buffet table. Oscar performance, I might add (hers and his).
you leave me in tears,lol
What dish accompanies great art...
Why great stories of course!
more, more
Gen hannon, Diane. No in elenath hîlar nan hâd gîn.
(Many thanks, Diane. May all stars shine upon your path.)
Wow... The subjects are beautiful but the fact you painted such an exquisite image on a 6x8 is amazing!
Thanks, Sheila. The good old Opti-visor came in handy once again.
Wow! I am rarely captivated by images of mothers and daughters (usually too predictable and saccharine) but this is just lovely, almost photographic. I shared it with my mother :-)
Rebecca,
I agree with your assessment that many mother/daughter paintings can be cloying. I was channeling Mary Cassatt last night. Thanks for the nice comments.
Hey Mark,
I was one of the ones concerned about whether you were out galavanting and having fun or in the hospital having some organ removed... I am happy to see you back - hale, happy and hippy roots showing!!!
This painting is lovely; there is such an air of tenderness about it... congratulations on the new grandchild.
Thanks, Joanne. I had an organ removed LAST year. There has been some gallivanting (New Orleans, Oregon, DC) but a lot of my time away from the studio has been dealing with the final stages of building a new house and studio. It is all very exciting but time consuming: selecting lighting, plumbing, tile, paint, etc., driving out daily to check the progress. Now comes the fun part (ha) packing up and moving. I fear it may seem I am on a walk-about as the summer progresses.
Mark, a stunningly beautiful painting. It does feel a bit like you were channeling Cassatt--with a twinge of the Pre-Raphaelites thrown in.
On your next Oregon trip, try to make time to visit us in our northeast corner of the state...catty-corner to Ashland.
Thanks, Don. I guess splashing around all that red and an affinity for Rossetti and the Pre-Raphaelites does show through.
Oregon truly is a beautiful state that begs more exploration.
They are beautiful Mark!
Thanks. Susan. I think so, too.
Mark!
Glad to have you back posting your work again.
Awesome, awesome portrait of your daughter and grandchild.
Quite tight and focused for such small painting.
Great job with that!
I LOVE the floral wreath thing-y your daughter is wearing. Yeah, a bit Lord of the Rings, but in a really, really cool way! (^_^)
-Dean
Thanks, Dean. It feels good to stand at the easel again. My posting will still be spotty this summer due to the new house, but I hope to keep the creative fires burning.
Mark,
I haven't given up on you! Sorry to post a comment so late after you published this post but I had to let you know that it's so nice to see you paint this way, with those lively brush strokes. It must be hard for a realist trained painter to do... but then again you did have that abstract cubist(?) phase for a while. Good looking family... maybe someone will follow in your footsteps.
Good to hear from you Alice. I hope you are having wonderful adventures. Your comments about following in my footsteps are prophetic as Holly has indeed embraced her artistic side and is creating some exciting work of her own. Her girls Sonny and Willow, also create with freedom and exuberance, unencumbered by the principles of design. Ah, youth.
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