"Peaceful Living"

I did quite a few paintings at Easton, and this is the last one I want to show. I did this one for Rich Carroll. He was my host family during my Easton days. Rich lives in the country surrounded by beautiful trees and corn fields. I had superb time with him and enjoyed every moment chatting with him. Having a peaceful living is my dream. My off-the-grid project approaches this dream gradually. I hope someday I don't need to paint for money. I will have a Sustainable, Green, Harmonious, Peaceful, and Happy life. Ladies and Gentlemen, please wish me luck.

I am heading to China tomorrow, and I will try to post something during this international travel, but in case it is too difficult, I wish you all the best for the month of September.

Last week on Art With a Needle

For 33 years we have lived in a house set back quite a way from the street near the bottom of a cul-de-sac.  When we first moved in I nailed some house numbers to a piece of scrap treated lumber, stuck it to a piece of scrap metal and set it at the corner of the driveway.  Felt very proud of myself.  But over the years shrubbery grew into the corner and overran the sign; meanwhile the sign itself rotted away.  I have been wanting a new sign for a long time and finally got my wish this week.  Don't you love the bright orange aluminum numbers?

More hemming of quilts this week, but mostly I worked on revising the member handbook for PYRO Gallery.  This is the kind of fussy writing task that I love to do, but it sure is time-consuming, and at the end of the week, when you realize how much time you have NOT spent in the studio.

Walking up and down the aisles of the art supply store, I discovered air-drying modeling clay and bought a two-pound hunk.  I've been thinking that it would be fun to make some little clay sculptures for my daily miniatures, but didn't want to use Sculpey or Premo because they have to be baked in the oven.  My rule for daily miniatures is that they have to be finished by midnight and never touched again except to photograph and store them.  Sometimes I will leave a miniature out by itself overnight for paint or ink or Fray Check to dry, but no further making is allowed.  So self-drying clay will follow the rules.

Here's my first little guy from the bag of clay, and my favorite of the week:

"Quick Draw at Easton" --- Sold

This painting is my quick draw piece at Plein Air Easton. Gush! I have already forgot what title I gave to it. I have enjoyed so much of the color play during the time I painted it. I used to be a tonal painter and using value and light to show most of my intentions. But now I am more and more into the effect of what color can do.

Fiberart 3 -- more holes at Fiberart International

Seen at Fiberart International, which has unfortunately just closed in Pittsburgh.

Marie Fornaro, It is Bread We Fight for, but We Fight for Roses, Too (details below)

It's sort of a quilt, since it contains batting and is layered in some places, but it's more deconstructed than not.  Apparently after the large hanging was sewed together, the artist went at it madly with a scissors, slashing and snipping lots of holes and letting the cut-off bits pool attractively on the floor.

I liked the use of old garments, towels and sheets; the touches of red that suggest both roses (as in the title) and blood; the nod to traditional quilt patterns; and the audacity of the crude construction and of course, the slashing,

Susan Avishai, No Place to Hide a Dark Heart (detail below)

It's four layers of an old shirt, hand-cut with scissors into a lacy pattern and suspended about an inch apart, close enough to the wall that the lace casts intricate shadows.  I like the way the untouched pocket and collar stand out from the filigree of the cut shirt.

Leigh Suggs, Untitled (Mondrian's City) (detail below)

This is a construction of Mylar on Tyvek, and I'm not sure how it qualifies as fiber art except that it vaguely resembles weaving.  What's special about it is the red shadow on the wall, cast that way because the back surface is red.  Clever and intriguing.

Six very different takes on holes, transparency and visual weight; I liked the contrasts.

“Noon Shine" --- Sold

One of those steamy hot afternoon, I painted this turquoise house in downtown Easton. It was so sweet when using those radiant colors. I felt dizzy. I was drunk. Those vibrant pigments combined with Gambsol was  so intoxicating. I want to call it "Noon Shine", for its light and for its feeling. 

It is a small painting. I did many small paintings before, especially my "Daily Painting" days. It has been a long time since I visited any "Daily Painting" websites the last time. I am wondering if there are still many artists call themselves "Daily Painters" nowadays. I am wondering if there still someone selling painting via eBay as I did before. It feels like the last century, must be many iPhone versions ago. Something goes up, and something comes down. Things move in circles. "Noon Shine" turns to "Moonshine". Besides that, nothing has happened.