Friday, March 18, 2011

Heaven and Earth

24 x 18 cm
Victor.  By Swan Valley, where you can get square ice cream cones.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Vanillezucker

17,5 cm square
  After using the tiny seeds from the vanilla bean, cut up the bean and put it in a container with sugar.  The sugar soaks up the oil and transforms into Vanillezucker.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Ode To Kluntje

33,5 x 18,5 cm
I came to Europe in my high school days, and saw marzipan for the first time.  When I moved here later, and wanted to take something special back to my children and grandchildren, I thought marzipan would be a good idea.  For me it was a treat, as well as a way to share my earlier trip.  No one liked it. 
However, they discovered the stash of Kluntje I had taken with me for my tea.  Big sugar crystals.  Big hit.  So now I take boxes of it every time I go.  I don't know if Kluntje is the best thing about Ostfriesland, but it's one of the wonderful things about Ostfriesland.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Friday, February 18, 2011

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Tea Tin Teaser

18,5 x 19,5 cm
My daughter says she doesn't like fruit paintings, or fruit, but she loves elephants.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Klar zur Wende

9 x 11,5 cm


We wanted to practice sailing before we went to Hungary, so we went to a small lake in Germany a couple of times. Roland taught me the German terms, one being "Klar zur Wende". The captain says it when he wants people to change sides to shift the weight. Sometimes it has to happen in seconds. He says Klar zur Wende, I make sure the ropes are clear, etc. and answer Klar zur Wende.  When he says "Ree!"  I (or both of us) change sides. The wind can change very suddenly, and we have to be careful the boom doesn't hit us in the head.

The last time I heard the words Klar zur Wende on a boat, was a couple of seconds before we were dunked into a Hungarian lake.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Rosewater


18 x 24 cm
Herbal Home Spa has a recipe for a wonderful cream with rosewater.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Egg Association


14 x 24 cm
 I asked Roland to play the association game with me, and said,
"Flower"
He answered, "egg".  He likes to cook.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Blue Lady

56 x 71 cm*
In high school I had the assignment to either copy a painting from one of the artists we were studying, or paint something in the style of one.  I chose to paint in the style of Picasso, "Le Vieux Guitariste".

Friday, January 21, 2011

Cookie Jar

14 x 17,5 cm
"Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?..."

Monday, January 17, 2011

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Monday, December 6, 2010

gnadenbringendeWeihnachtszeit


17,8 x 12,5 cm
’O du fröhliche’ is one of my favorite German Christmas songs, with everyone singing along.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Setup, Take Two

10 x 11,5 cm
I know I did some things differently in this one, but I can't compare the two setups until the four are finished, or I'll have to sleep in the cellar. :-)

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Setup

10 x 11,5 cm
There will be three more paintings, about a week apart, from this setup.  Once a painting is complete, I'm not supposed to look at it until all four are done.  The hardest part is to remember not to move anything, including the lamp I often use.  I put the mug on a box, hoping that would be a good sign for me that it's not the one that holds my drink this time.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Eggs

11,5 x 8,5 cm

I like the movie "Finding Forrester".    Forrester (Sean Connery) agreed to teach Jamal (Rob Brown) about writing.  Jamal sat down at the typewriter to write, but just sat.  Forrester asked him what he was doing, and Jamal answered, "I'm just thinking".  Forrester:  "No thinking - that comes later.  You must write your first draft with your heart.  You rewrite with your head.  The first key to writing is... to write, not to think!"
"Sometimes the simple rhythm of typing gets us from page one to page two."

My interpretation, translating it to painting, is that Sean Connery would tell me to paint with my heart.  Then refine (without suffocating what's painted).  The first key to painting is... to paint, not to think.
The simple rhythm of painting gets us from painting one to painting two. 

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