Gallery Talk VAM!

#392 SAW Hill  8-30-14  9 x 12

















This is currently in the Valley Artisan's Market show. The opening was tonight and there was a good turnout of new and old friends. I had agreed to a gallery talk, and I had no idea what I was going to talk about up until it was time to do it. There were probably about 15-20 people in the small gallery, spilling out into the market space. So I didn't get any photos of the opening or the talk, and I don't exactly remember what I said but I'll try:

   I go out, drive around, maybe I have something in mind but probably not: most of these places are within 15 minutes of here, and I see a scene I like, I find a safe place to pull over and set up. I  look around and compose a picture of what I see, I don't try and change things too much, I find the scene, within the rectangle, the panel.  I adjust it according to how much of one thing I want, and how much of another, like a section of a bridge, to the amount of water under it.

   Now I set out my pallet, use the same colors so I don't have to think about it. I paint sight-size, place the panel, the canvas, next to the scene so I can see the scene and my panel and they're the same size, next to each other and I look to see the most different thing and I paint it. I go from one thing the next, and try to get it right the first time, and that's it.  It's kinda mechanical, I match the colors, I try to see the general. I squint, I work fast because the light changes so quickly, maybe 2 hours tops, maybe less. I try not to think, so it's almost automatic.

       I'm not making any big statements. I'm in the moment. 20 or 30 years ago I might have wanted to make a statement, to say something, but I'm not doing that now. I paint the moment, the place I am in: that moment. The world is going to blow up tomorrow, it's crazy out there, and we live in this beautiful place, this paradise, some of it is, some of it's not: it's not Disneyland, but it's paradise, and we get to live here. I leave my keys in my car, so I don't care much about it, I don't have to think about it. who gets to live like this? I mean we could be in some horrible place or situation  and not have this.


   So that was what I can remember, There were some questions, do I go back? do I work on it after I get it home? what colors do you use?  I used to once in a while, but never now, I just scratch my name in the wet paint.

      Next up;  cataloguing and framing for the pangea show, going up Monday! as always, THANKS for reading my blog and coming along with me!