The latest work of the week.

After I painted this work of the week, I tried to make sense of it from a symbolic point of view. Here's my interpretation...

The dog is intended to be my dog Dante (now deceased) drawn from memory, so it was sort of a dream-like rendering and not very realistic. The two black balls started out as dogs. The smaller of the two was upside down and black - to me, a very clear symbol of Dante's violent death by car accident. The bigger black ball was also another dog at first - it hangs over her, and seems oppressive - so I like to think it symbolizes her terrible separation anxiety, which she experienced whenever away from other dogs or people... The three red balls are clearly positive, and must represent the things that Dante loved in her life: Me, Tamara, and Maya. (Any guesses on who's the biggest red ball?)

But that leaves out her other great joy, which was chasing and terrorizing small dogs. Apparently, I need to go back into the painting and render another small red ball.

Merry Christmas, One and All

And here's a special shout-out to our snowbound friends and family. We love you.

Wishing you all a White Christmas (within commuting reason, of course, and unless you are someplace really warm)/ xoxoox

Storm at Sea IV (After Turner)

Joseph Mallord William Turner painted Storm at Sea or Snowstorm, which is at the National Gallery in London. I first saw it at the National Gallery in DC, on tour. It is a remarkable painting. The Royal Academy catalogue of 1842 the entry reads 'Snowstorm - steam boat off a harbor's mouth making signals in shallow water, and going by the lead. The author was in this storm on the night the Ariel left Harwich.' Turner said, "I only painted it because I wished to show what such a scene was like; I got the sailors to lash me to the mast to observe it; I was lashed for four hours and did not expect to escape, but I felt bound to record it if I did. No one has any business to like it."

Here's the underpainting I did for it, followed by my finished painting, followed by the Turner original of 1842.

Ode to painting!

Lately, the painting has been going really well. I've been selling work, which is a great validation. But more importantly, I'm taking great joy in the process of making a painting. The background incidentals are important - great music playing, the wonderful smell of oil paint, the bright studio lights, hot coffee... but what really makes it great has been the joy in the painting itself. Sometimes, the brush moves without conscious control, so fast that I don't understand how the process is working, and the images build themselves. I know what I want to paint, and somehow the painting just materializes. That's fun, but also fun is the building of painted surfaces through layers of paint. I love the actual paint, the richness of the colors, the texture of the paint surface. Brushwork, palette knife, slopping the paint around like butter is just fantastic.

I've been invited out to spend a few weeks in Italy to paint the palio in Siena, and the countryside as well. I of course accepted, and am very much looking forward to sharing pictures of the work with you all in July.

First gallery art show and opening in the Hague, opening on Jan. 11th

My first gallery art opening in the Hague is coming up Sunday January 11th, from 15:00 to 18:00 at the American Women's Club of the Hague. I am excited, and hope that lots of people come. There will be wine, cheese, music, and art - please come if you are in town. All the info is on my website, or you can download and print a pdf poster.

A foggy morning

The light from the Libyan embassy was obscured by fog, and made for an interesting photo.

Old home week

For a while, I thought about starting a non-profit in the DC area that would address stormwater runoff and remediation. But, there was no money in it. I got about as far as making a demonstration project out of the yard and my house. And then, we moved to Europe. Goodbye water, hello art. Yesterday, there was an article in the Chesapeake Bay Journal about runoff reduction and the demonstration project at my old home in Takoma Park. It makes me wonder what trajectory my life might have taken if that non-profit route had become a reality. My cat wonders the same, but is very happy that instead I am here and doing art. He thinks the art is super, but he's a cat and his taste runs to tuna.

Solid food gold.

(Tacos, from a kit. Taco Dinner by Casa Fiesta.) Gift from a departing expat. Fry up some ground beef, add seasoning packet, scoop into stale taco shells from kit (kinda crunchy, but not really), add sour cream and greens, salsa (From the kit) and chopped tomatoes, and voila - sheer expat heaven?

Party in your mouth???? NOT. I mean, no way, Jose. But... kind of.

(Me) How do you describe this meal?
(T) It was a school lunch...
(Me) Soul Food. It was like the things you used to eat in grade 4, grade school.
(T) You can call it whatever you like.... comfort food.... but at the end of the day, it's just cracker food.
(E) So what's wrong with cracker food?
(T) The whole use of the word 'cracker,' is what wrong with cracker food. We also have to give a shout out to the cracker items provided by Dave and Heidi - Ritz Crackers (no pun intended) with peanut butter, dipped in chocolate - salty sweet yummy - - and also the pumpkin whoopee pie. (Pumpkin whoopee pie?!) The Europeans would ban them just based on the Trans-fat content.
(E) A meal like that deserves capping. How about we open the Nutter Butters?
(T) I have no response to that.
(E) I take that's a yes.
(E) Pure bliss.
(T) Whatever.

So, I saw this Van Gogh exhibit...

I repainted the sky on this painting, after seeing the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. I feel justified, because apparantly Van Gogh lived just down the street from me when he lived in the Hague. Obviously, I am channeling his spirit, and can take no actual credit for the painting itself. The original painting was done outside, in the dunes not far from my house.

Dave and Heidi enjoy Becel

Becel is one of our favorite things about Holland. Becel (prounounced "Bay-cell") is a breakfast margarine spread - oh, it sounds so romantic when you put it like that. Which is why we have developed our own set of add slogans for Becel.

We have a chalkboard to-do and shopping list on our kitchen wall. It says things like, "Buy train tickets to Berlin" and "toilet paper." (Men never buy this on their own - but that's another blog entry, and then I would have to share the secret handshake. but I digress.) It also has said, "Get Dutch driver's license" for about the last 6 months, but again, that's another story.

But also on that chalkboard can be found some of the advertising slogans that we have developed over the last 6 months for Becel. (All of which are so much better than "breakfast margarine spread.") Dave and Heidi, visiting from Washington, were so impressed with Becel that they helped us to develop several more slogans. Now that we have enough slogans, it is time to share our brilliant breakfast insight.

Breakfast: Becel makes it better.

Breakfast. Favorite meal of the day. Because it has you, and because it has Becel.

Becel - As much fun as spreading paint with a palette knife.

It isn't Breakfast without Becel.

Becel - It is the foundation of every breakfast.

Nothing wrong with butter - but it is not Becel.

I bet it goes better with Becel!

Breakfast is what Becel is all about!

Tamara in front of the Villa Avvenire with Lulu

While in Siena, we stayed with our friends Brian, Julia, Jeff, and Kristen at the Villa Avvenire just outside the ciy walls. The hosts, Signor and Signora Pepi, were as delightful as their dog, Lulu, friendly. The Villa Avvenire was built in the 1400s, but we stayed in the modern wing built in the 1700s. Pictured is Tamara with Lulu - Lulu is looking sad because we are leaving for the day.

Signor Pepi is a delightful host, and enjoys cooking for the beauty of it. He made us one of the best dishes I've ever eaten, venison prepared in the Tuscan style. He obtained doe meat from one of his farms - it has to be old doe, young doe does not have the right flavor. He marinated the doe with carrots, other vegetables, and red wine for two days. The doe is then cut into small pieces, sauteed with onion and garlic in olive oil, then stewed for three hours in white wine. It is served with a mashed potato and cheese dish. Awesome, top ten of all time.

Noi vi ringraziamo per il tempo bellisimo alla Villa Avvenire, Signor e Signora Pepi! (We are so grateful for the beautiful time at the Villa Avvenire, Signor and Signora Pepi!)

Siena water supply

Ever the water resources engineer....

The Sienese were careful to have numerous sources of water inside the city walls for times of siege. They captured rainwater in cisterns, sunk wells, and created public access at springs. The pictures here show one of these ancient public access points, where people could obtain drinking water for everyday use.