Sometimes after paintings show, I change them. This one shouted at me to do more. I knew exactly what had to be done.

I had two weeks to create work for the Kingston Pop Museum – I said yes to the show before I had any work at all. It was a risky move, especially considering my pace for painting large scale work.

I worked furiously.

I’m glad I agreed to the show – it got me moving and thinking in a new way. I think it made me stronger – or at least more flexible.

This piece evolved from a doodle I did while at a Werewolves of Brooklyn rehearsal in April 2022. I have books and books of drawings interspersed within personal writings and lyrics and notes and poetry. A few of the doodles from that particular rehearsal session ended up in this series of paintings. 

(As I write this, it occurs to me that the show at the museum was called The Summer of Rock. While my paintings were serene – some of them were initially conceived while I was practicing music!)

 

Sometimes talking helps

G Clamp was a piece I kept looking at and wanting to do more with, but I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. It kept tugging at me. I initially was going to do something very different – I even made a video to try to work it out in my mind. Sometimes talking it out helps.

G Clamp

I did do a bit in the background of the piece, but painted where I said I wasn’t going to paint.

I looked and looked and looked for days, and finally I tried brown orange on the edge. I love that the inner ribs of the cardboard show in this piece, but I didn’t want to paint the ribs. Instead I stained alongside the ribs. 

The edges were all I could do, all I could see. I didn’t have time to sit with this painting for it to reveal to me what was next.

I like that the markings of ideas are still on the surface of the cardboard. I like showing the markings and process in the finished bit of work. 

I called this piece G Clamp.

I was happy with this piece. I was happy with all the pieces in the show. And I got the piece down, and I saw it. I saw exactly what had to happen. And so I changed it.

 

What the work wants

And the show came down and I came back to Brooklyn and the dust settled. I got grounded in my studio and I changed the piece. 

Back in the Studio, updating G Clamp and changing the name to Sunset Spark (G Clamp Reprise) – one of the pieces from the Kingston Pop Museum show, and getting back to work.

Doing what the work wants.

I like using this prayer from Julia Cameron’s book, the Artist’s Way – “God, I’ll create the quantity, you create the quality.” Muses, Universe, Infinite Spirit, etc . . .  Thank you!

Sunset Spark (G Clamp Reprise)

Oil on Cardboard
21.5″ x 28.5″

Peace and love!

July 22, 2023
Sunset Park, New York