In the vein of “Beware of Dog,” here is some sound advice on the topic of children.
Day: April 18, 2006
Before and After
I’ve mentioned how much I love old buildings, especially houses? Especially when they’re half falling down? In the mid-’80s my family moved (again!), and across the street from the new house was an enormous Queen Anne house that looked like it might disintegrate at any moment. It was the quintessential haunted house, dilapidated with rotted curtains hanging in random windows. The interior had once been broken up into small apartments, but it has sat empty for a good number of years. I was always fascinated by that house, and torn between enjoyment of its decayed aspect and hope that it would one day find an owner who would renovate it.
It was finally bought a few years ago, and the new owners completely rehabbed it. Over the course of a couple of years, they replaced the roof and stripped the remnants of paint from the exterior, including the stripping and/or replacement of about a million pieces of gingerbread. You cannot imagine how excited I was to finally get a tour of the interior! It’s been beautifully restored and decorated inside, with new plaster, new floors, and rich fabrics papering the walls. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
Before
After
Three Paintings
Funnel Cloud, oil on canvas
Vessels, oil on canvas
Maps IV, oil on canvas
These are all paintings that now live at my mom’s house. I’ve been meaning to photograph them for quite awhile, but never managed to get to it. Easter was a perfect opportunity, though. It was overcast, which I think is the best time to take outdoor photos. Bright sunlight may seem nice, but it washes out color and flattens everything. Overcast days enhance the saturation of color, so if you’re going to photograph artwork outdoors (and outdoors is far preferable to indoors, with flash), it’s best to do it outdoors on a cloudy day.
The top one and bottom paintings I’m still pretty happy with. I like the middle one, but it has some spacial issues. I’m thinking about having another go at the idea, just so that I can fix the things that now bug me. We’ll see if I ever get around to it.
The third painting belongs to my youngest brother. It was part of the Maps series. I love the underwatery feel of it. The top painting began as part of the same series, but it ended up going in an entirely different direction. I still wasn’t using much white at that point, which is what accounts for the weird, tornado-y glow in that and a few other paintings, like this one.
Greenhouse, oil on canvas
Efflorescence of a Sunset
Eastern Glow at Sunset, 14 April 2006
I took this last Friday evening. I’d been standing outside, talking with my neighbor across the gate (like ya’ do). I was facing west, and had been lamenting internally that the sunset was non-existant. One minute it was hovering boringly above the horizon, then “plop” it sank. Nary a hint of pink or orange or purple or anything at all. Hrmph.
Then, as she was leaving, I turned to go back inside. Oh my. The entire eastern sky was glowing a soft pink. It was kind of subtle, so I didn’t think it would show up well in a picture. I intended to just hang out and enjoy it while it lasted, but then Harriet decided it was time to eat rightthisninute. I took her inside to feed her, then went back outside to do some more sky watching. In the few moments I was indoors, the pink had deepened and intensified. I got my camera and took a few pictures.
Easter Puppy
Harriet and I visited my family over Easter. To be truthful, I’d forgotten it was Easter weekend. My main purpose in visiting was to pick up an oak table. It was one my mom grew up with, then my brothers and I, so when it looked like it might be my turn to snag it, I jumped at the chance. The finish needs some work, but it’s a really nice size and has a lot of sentimental value.
Anyway, while we were moving the table out to the car, I shut Harriet in the downstairs bedroom. She’s good about honoring open doors and gates, but with all the chaos, I wanted to be on the safe side. One of the cold air exchanges for the furnace is in that room, so there is a cut out on the bottom of the door, to allow for air circulation. Harriet took advantage of the opening to keep an eye on the to-ing and fro-ing. I think she was hoping she could stuff her whole head and body through the gap, but she hasn’t perfected the art of bending space. Yet.
red paper boat 