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Apr. 9th, 2009
I have a hair bleach appointment today after work. Having white(er) hair always makes me feel good. I'm going to a different salon these days because I get superior results there, although the woman who works on me always asks probing questions. Time at the salon should be spent in quiet reflection as the chemicals strip away my hair color and blister my scalp, not fielding questions about my personal life and how I spend my free time.
I've been working on two paintings at once. I've been waiting since Sunday night for the alkyd glaze I put down on the large one to dry; on Tuesday I was bored and it occurred to me that rather than sit waiting I could actually begin a second piece, so I built a canvas and set to work. Having the space to work on multiple pieces a luxury I'm still trying to wrap my head around, and makes the extra rent I pay for my new studio SO extremely worth it.
I ate salads for dinner all winter long and I'm so over it. I have a tendency to eat the same thing over and over for months until one day I snap and can't eat another bite of it. So in a quest for new flavors, I've been exploring some of the wonderful options that Trader Joe has to offer. The BBQ chicken pizza and the turkey sausage stromboli have been good. Also of note have been the chili lime chicken burgers, which are especially good when paired with guacamole.
I got a bike. I got a nice bike. I went to the bike shop a while back and test-rode a bunch of different bikes, all different brands and price points, to see what the differences were and get a feel for what I wanted. I learned a lot in the process, and can now understand why some bikes are more expensive than others. And I thought about it for a few days and came to the decision that I didn't want a cheap bike, I wanted a good bike. So I went ahead and got the bike I wanted. I'm hoping that maybe this weekend it will be nice enough out to take it out for a spin; I'm still trying to get used to the basket peddles, so I think I might just tool around on the side streets near my studio a bit before I try going on a ride of any real length. I rode over to W's studio last weekend (before the snow hit) and had some difficulty getting my toes in the baskets, but from all accounts this is something that will soon become second nature.
I've been working on two paintings at once. I've been waiting since Sunday night for the alkyd glaze I put down on the large one to dry; on Tuesday I was bored and it occurred to me that rather than sit waiting I could actually begin a second piece, so I built a canvas and set to work. Having the space to work on multiple pieces a luxury I'm still trying to wrap my head around, and makes the extra rent I pay for my new studio SO extremely worth it.
I ate salads for dinner all winter long and I'm so over it. I have a tendency to eat the same thing over and over for months until one day I snap and can't eat another bite of it. So in a quest for new flavors, I've been exploring some of the wonderful options that Trader Joe has to offer. The BBQ chicken pizza and the turkey sausage stromboli have been good. Also of note have been the chili lime chicken burgers, which are especially good when paired with guacamole.
I got a bike. I got a nice bike. I went to the bike shop a while back and test-rode a bunch of different bikes, all different brands and price points, to see what the differences were and get a feel for what I wanted. I learned a lot in the process, and can now understand why some bikes are more expensive than others. And I thought about it for a few days and came to the decision that I didn't want a cheap bike, I wanted a good bike. So I went ahead and got the bike I wanted. I'm hoping that maybe this weekend it will be nice enough out to take it out for a spin; I'm still trying to get used to the basket peddles, so I think I might just tool around on the side streets near my studio a bit before I try going on a ride of any real length. I rode over to W's studio last weekend (before the snow hit) and had some difficulty getting my toes in the baskets, but from all accounts this is something that will soon become second nature.
Rotting paper and the stink of alkyd
Apr. 9th, 2009 11:22 pmI did a little work on the new painting this evening.
I'm digging the distressed surface that I've been able to achieve here. Something notable about this piece is that I'm not using any newspaper; instead, I'm using acid free paper, which will be far more archivable. Also, I've sealed it with alkyd resin instead of linseed oil. Linseed oil + paper = accelerated disintegration, so using alkyd resin is far better despite the long drying time and stink factor.
Part of me doesn't care. Part of me wants to go on using newspaper and oil and just do what I feel like doing. But then I think of how sad I will be in years to come when I look back on my older work and see it becoming ruined and decayed. Maybe I will do some that are MEANT to decay. I could create them with a cocktail of materials that would purposefully rot over time. A series of paintings meant to fade away.
I'm digging the distressed surface that I've been able to achieve here. Something notable about this piece is that I'm not using any newspaper; instead, I'm using acid free paper, which will be far more archivable. Also, I've sealed it with alkyd resin instead of linseed oil. Linseed oil + paper = accelerated disintegration, so using alkyd resin is far better despite the long drying time and stink factor.
Part of me doesn't care. Part of me wants to go on using newspaper and oil and just do what I feel like doing. But then I think of how sad I will be in years to come when I look back on my older work and see it becoming ruined and decayed. Maybe I will do some that are MEANT to decay. I could create them with a cocktail of materials that would purposefully rot over time. A series of paintings meant to fade away.