By Diane: Caregiving Mini-art Respite Update #14: Backyard Covid-distanced Paint-out Party

 by Diane

 

 SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 The more the merrier! Even masked and distanced the party will be a precious memory painting. The party included my painter sister-in-law, a long time painting pal, plus one granddaughter and her boyfriend. 

 While we painted, the yard holly trees shortened to bushes and general weeding in pasture was done by next younger brother to Fisherman Hubby. Early, before the guests arrived, I set-up my easel in our vegetable garden enclosure. 

The party caused me to depart from the illustration of a future Fisherman Hubby's book. I felt uncomfortably uncertain of any painting direction. Before the party I was thinking color and energy and not specifically of my guests being important in my painting. Serendipity intervened. Two of these painters were previously central in landscape paintings from when we were painting together. My view just happened to, most importantly, include where our group spread out under the patio cover. 

thumbnail detail of the painting

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 This week I am grateful for all the yard help we received. My spirits are lifted every time I look outside. Who would guess friends would be so caring. Tina Price Green is a master gardener supreme bring her home grown veggies and even is a superwoman gardener quickly managing weeding and trimming. Hot weather is drying the ground while the flowers dry up quickly. Fortunately our yard has many dry weather plants.

by Diane; Update #6, When best of plans fail

Spring is calling; my interest in topology wavers: my acrylic paint palette is hardening. I have an urge to finish my old projects.
       I framed and hung my recent topology inspired pieces with one small abstract I did in 2003. Going against my plan to not be critical, I became critical of the one on the white wall. I am falling back to my usual process of the way I throw myself on the empty canvas and mid way become critical.
        Looking through older work that had promise but never came to a finish that I could for long find acceptable, I added more color but the flow of the swallows flight still does not read well with the color and texture being more dominant than the flights. 

         Liking neither the tangle painting on the white wall or the swallows and tractor, I just recognized that the flight of the swallows could be described in topology tangles. Could I have stumbled on an application of math to describe an event in nature? I was inspired to change back to working from topology. Can topology be used to describe movement through time?
         The tangle painting that I did not like is now not a failure - just unfinished. I hypothesise that the swopping in and out of the swallows could be mapped to show that their flight patterns help them work the air together to catch insects to eat. Their flight route could be drawn in a a two dimentional projection like a topology tangle.  I am looking forward to doing more observations in this new way when the swallows return.

    This week I am much to absorbed in my art to be my husband's helper in his time of need as his neuron motor disease symptoms are bound to worsen. We are still navagating the medical specialists when most of their office have all but shut down. When the pandamic is over, we have great expectations of being included in a comprehensive clinic which will have professional advise for all his needs in one visit a month.

                  

Heading to 2020

by Rain Trueax

sunrise December 18th from Casa Espiritu

The time between Christmas and New Years is a special time for me. Yes, the calendar is a manmade tool, but it can be used. The idea of moving into a new year, especially a new decade, feels important-- even more when it has such a neat sound to it-- 2020. 

This week used to be when I would write goals for the coming year. I did that for years. I was pretty much always having the same goals. I got more organized with them as I'd put them in three categories-- spirit, body, mind. I would think what did I want to do to move myself forward in each area.