The sun is shining brightly today as the wind whistles eerily around the building. The news is full of reports of wind damage from yesterday into today, which we turned off early this morning. Georgie isn't feeling well again today, and we may have to take a trip to the vet as it appears more serious than the previous bout of infection. Where to find the money is always a question.Another important question is where I am going to help my friends at La Muse Artist & Writers Retreat raise that $50K Euros they need to stay in business past 2010. This is a serious issue as they desperately need a benefactor; I want to help.I'm painting this afternoon, although giving it some standing time for the moment. I'm undecided about brushstrokes and the importance of traditional focus. And then there is the issue of detail: when, where and ultimately why. It's not that I can't paint traditionally, as I did seriously consider painting that muskoka chair into a portrait of famous persons just so that it sells quickly - that is what NPCC would truly appreciate. Is that selling out? Alas, the chair still sits unpainted as personally I need this piece completed by the end of May as well (my self-imposed deadline).If only I painted a piece a day like Kim. Always something to aspire too!
I am having a bit of a love affair with texture it seems, perhaps that is part of my current painting quest. Artists of old painted to create the perfect image, and in turn created objects of great beauty for others to admire, acquire and aspire. I live in an age where one image is not enough, normacy is many images, moving images. Former generations call it information overload. I am at home with this. How could I possibly paint anything else? I just need to express it.
Small and fast was this one, working in oil, done last night. (4"x6") Series is loosely based on the ravine setting I've moved into and life in general at the moment.
No matter what i do, I cannot photograph this painting satisfactorly. I've given up by now. You simply must see this one in person to fully appreciate it. (30"x40") 
Again, difficult to photograph, but here is the whole piece pretty much completed. As good a photo as I can take myself (which is not saying much). (20"x24")Have made particular note of the essensial need for better lighting in my studio. As an artist who works predominantly in the evening or afterdark hours, when my works are taken out into the daylight this is noticabley evident. I have to find a way to either paint outside, at a minium surrounded by natural daylight, or drastically improve the interior situation at my easel. This will become a focus in the following week(s). Have been continuing to paint without drawing with some success. Needless to say, I really miss drawing. Am not too sure that the directional flow created by the hand underpainting is really beneficial or detrimental to the essence of the final piece; I'm of two minds about this and thoroughly undecided. Perhaps this needs to be merged more in thought and practice with the presently unknown resulting image, to ensure a unity of both. This beyond a doubt would limit the organization of colours over form to something that is meticulously preplanned, which concurrently denies the freshness or spirit that needs to be captured in order to have a successful painting. Working in both mediums for years, I can say that acheivement of this in practice would perhaps be easiest in acrylic, but that freshness and lustfulness of colour would come for using oils; and I want to use oils. It might not photograph well, but one needs to feel that lust when looking upon a painting.
