Yesterday I had a material break though for the large aluminum works that arose from the Jelly Scribbles. Even in that success I faced failure in the images I'd chosen: white peonies. The white was not going to work for too many reasons to count. As I sat in dejection at a loss for how to move this work forward. I waited for an image to speak to me and the squash blossom did. They whispered with their painful tenderness.

After lots of trial and error I've moved the initial Jelly Scribble medium to a new level. One that feels fluid and at the same time has an aluminum foundation. The play of materials exhilarates me.

I've combined the flourescent pigments and some new micron pigments with linseed oil and varnish. After lots of experimenting I found a combination that works! Now onto the real drawings that the jelly scribbles birthed. Sometimes it feels just like that, a birth in all it's messiness, struggle and pain.

I'm excited though to have this new body of work before me even as the Flowsaics settle into their own steadiness.

I suppose this is that blessed unrest artists feel.

Yesterday I heard a shaman describe enchantment as our ability to hear the chant that leads us to the divine. Isn't that sweet?

On this morning's walk I was lead to the divine through nearly all my senses.

Through the scent of newly mowed hay as it lifted on the day's growing warmth.

Through the mellowing greens and bronze yellows of the grass under the late summer sun

Below are a few digital polaroids from a flowsaic series of random weeds. I don't know their name but damn they're lovely!

The farm next door to me has public garden plots this year. I love wandering past them on my walks. Nearly everyone is growing sunflowers.

Yesterday also brought my new micron pigments and cold pressed linseed oil for the new aluminum flower series! How rich a day it was. I am waiting on an ink delivery so I can print out and complete the Iris Flowsaic series - it'll make a second quartet completed. Next up for quartets will the the Quaking Aspens (two can be seen at eo art lab's group show Common Purpose until August 29), Roosters and Unamed Quartet Two. Below is a peek at the studio.

On yesterday's morning walk  the brussel sprouts and chard were  beautiful in the morning light, perhaps a new batch of flowsaics will reveal themselves!

 "For the last few centuries Japanese painting technique has made use of a new quality of pigments for watercolor painting and woodblock printing. This particular technique is called Enogu, for which pigments are made in exactly specified particle sizes - the particles are basically all the same size and shape. Colors of a unique particle size appear more brilliant."

This is brilliant! I love the connection to one of my favorite artists:
Hokusai.

And to the earth, both in naturally occurring minerals and the global reach.

I can't wait to try them out!

Here's a peek at some scribbles as I work out the materials.

Pouring, splashing, shimmering, glowing . . .

These are flourescent pigments in varnish and oil over a digital image on aluminum.

After a crazy July, full of moving and playing, I am back in the studio working on the Iris Flowsaics, the really BIG egg tempera painting and the experimental aluminum white flower series!

Feels fabulous to again be at work.

Good news! Two of the Quaking Aspen Flowsaics will be in a group show at eo art lab. More on that in a day or two.

I've leaped from the early jellie scribbles to a new body of work I'm calling the white flower series. It is still in the experimental stages but I'm sourcing materials and making progress. Here are two images of a piece I did just before the July madness set in.

I'm printing white peonies images I captured with my iPhone onto 17" x 35" aluminum flashing. Then I'm pouring varnish with micron pigments, in this I've used some earth-based yellow and some white, pink and orange flourescent pigments. I'm adding some linseed oil as well! It's unpredictable play.

Another view of the first white flower piece.

July 5 heading to Delaware for our big move. Stopping on the NJ turnpike for food - ugh! However there is no better place to people watch!

And gassing up on the NJ turnpike - gotta love those prices and someone to pump the gas for you!

A farewell to Wilmington, DE.

The entourage

Uhaul returned July 9 - yay!!

I'm trying to remember when I began this large, as yet untitled, egg tempera painting; but I cannot. It's been a while since I've worked on it and it's wonderful to be back in pure egg tempera work. While this medium is never forgiving and demands strict discipline and attention it's rewards are unparalleled.

Below is a detail of the work in progress. It'll be months before this one is finished. But painting the river seems to keep me cool during these hot summer days.

Oh, that's me on the left at work in the studio.

And after an all day session on teh really large egg tempera painting I played with a new aluminum piece. I've been experimenting with a series of digital images of just white flowers printed on aluminum. I'm pouring varnish tinted with pigments - some flourescent. And then dripping tinted oil atop the varnish.

I'm loving the drippy wetness! And playing with flourescent pigments as the sun sets makes for some interesting photos!

Quartets. That's how I'm going to organize the Flowsaics.

Just like the little icons on my iPhone.

Perhaps it's the underlying structure I'm feeling. The grid that connects all life? Who can say?

I've begun the iris Flowsaics.

Here's a little detail from number one