Twisted Strands . . . In progress

 "Twisted Strands" (left) in progress

"Bands" (right) completed

 

I've been working on a new painting, "Twisted Strands."  It's in the "hanging-on-the-wall-so-I-can-ponder-my-next-step" phase.  Yesterday, I hung it next to "Bands"and I taped some waxed paper to it to get a sense of what a semi-transparent foggy rectangle would look like as a compositional element.  Today, I plan  to paint the rectangle, and to truly commit to laying some color down on the twisted strands.  

Cheers!

Inspiration

I like simple, graphic compositions and industrial imagery.  So I jumped at the chance to take some pics of a passing train recently, when my car was first in line at the tracks in Portland's waterfront warehouse district.  And yes, that's a woman on top of the building in the first photo. . . but it's only a mannequin.  :)

Portland is wrapped in ice-covered snow today.  I'm heading to my studio.  Good thing it's in the house!

Have a great week!

When Great Artists Come Together

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Found this video via Earth eMag (via Sophie Munns).  Guess I've watched it at least five times.  And actually, I could listen to it on repeat all day long.  You really must watch the whole thing once (and then dance to it the second, third, fourth and fifth times!)  Jazz pianist, composer, and arranger Herbie Hancock brought together brilliant vocalists and musicians from around the world for The Imagine Project, which includes this fabulous cross-cultural arrangement of John Lennon's classic song.  I love watching the faces of the collaborators.  Of course, as one might guess, the artists' performances (and faces) are filled with passion, but there's also this sense of deep mutual respect, delight, and perhaps a bit of awe at what they are creating and experiencing together.  If ever there were an arrangement and performance of this song that left me feeling hopeful for the world, this studio session is it.  So wonderful to know that Herbie was selected as a Kennedy Center Honoree this past September for his significant contribution to American culture.

Enjoy, and for goodness sake, share this wonderfulness!

(P.S.-- If the above video doesn't stream correctly for you, here's the link to watch the video on YouTube. (Or you should be able to click on the YouTube button above.)  And apologies, this is the first time I've tried to add a video to my blog.)