Summer Wrap Up

Emily Trespas, Hose, oil on linen,  8 x 10  ins.

(A plein air paint-sketch painted at Rosalie's Farm Stand, Peterborough, NH)

As I head off for my fall sabbatical, I am home taking inventory of my art supplies and deciding on painting supports. What to bring to my October art retreat at the Constance Saltonstall Arts Colony (Ithaca, New York) is a tough decision. I will pack my paints (oil, acrylic, and watercolor) and drawing materials (vine charcoal, pen & ink). Keeping it simple will create some level of consistency in what I create. 

I spent a lot of greenbacks on canvases from Utrecht's yesterday and want to feel good about working on a bigger scale. Painting larger (in oil/acrylic...and maybe watercolor) is one of my creative sabbatical goals. In July I started with the 20 x 20 inch canvas for the Sharon Arts Center "Paint Out" and really enjoyed the freedom it invited. In graduate school (Cornell Univeristy) I painted and drew on giant rolls of photo back drop paper and canvas. So this will be a nice return, not only to the area but to working grander. 

No matter what, I'll see what happens when I get there and am in the Ellis Hollow and gorges landscapes. I don't want to get too locked into scale choices when what is more important to me is exercising my use of color, and exploring the intersection and tangling of representation and abstraction.

some small sketch-style supports

Approaching the smaller surfaces as sketch prep will be a good start. I don' want to get too fussy with my paintings. I believe it happened in the Paint Out piece; I over-worked the details. But I usually feel this way. So I will continue to warm up with my 30-second to two-minute watercolor sketch thumbnails before setting to work at the easel. I purchased some Yupo paper to try out in addition to some 300 lb Hot/Cold pressed Arches.

A view from roof parking at Brigham and Women's, Boston, MA

A week's perspective has helped my outlook about my hip and still not being able to run. What a pity nonetheless, as I will be in the Finger Lakes region and planned my art retreat around a race out there that I can't run. Alas. There will always be races to run. If I make choices that align with who I am, my life is as it is meant to be. Happy and moving ahead!