Sad Brush

As I am writing progress reports for my students to their parents, I want to suggest that each child learn to wash their own dishes. They just don't have enough experience cleaning. The majority cannot grasp the concept of washing their brushes! They barely run them under the flowing tap, never mind soap and rinse. Every single day I cajole and demonstrate and inevitably catch a few brushes coated with acrylic stashed out of sight. It makes me sad.

Sweets for the whole team

I made this painting for my nephew's birthday and honoring of his whole soccer team (11 emblems). It was also a teaching demo for my students. Their sweet paintings are nearly done.

They learned to put the paint on a little thick in all the right places...

New development on old painting

Going to share this at the Field on Saturday. Plaster and paint on burlap, cardboard... 24 H x 36 W x 3/4 D inch.

Enma loaned me her stethescope

I am so excited to start this painting!

Thank you Enma!

Putting it on thick

I am having my students stencil plaster onto their canvases for a little added texture.  We have been looking at Wayne Thiebaud's cake paintings, and are inspired to paint sweets in acrylics.  He used oils, and was able to get them richly thick. A little plaster under acrylic goes a long way. Above is one of my demo. paintings.

Student applying plaster through a stencil- don't ask me about the phone.

Hearts in process

There is an interesting tactile feel to the way these develop in the palms of my hands. It kind of reminds me of the job I had bagging chicken and turkey gizzards and hearts. Such wonderful delicate surfaces and, to me, it felt like the engine of the beasts. Each of these plaster sculptures is made differently, responding to a handful of seeds, a piece of rope, a stocking, a gob of wax, etc..
I tell myself I am going to stop this once the container of plaster runs out. I'm 3/4 there.

Gravity or non-gravity, that is the question

 

Light hearted.

God's manipulation. God's path.

God as gardener sewing hearts.

A floral glove- a feminine God.

Are these puppet strings?

Or pulling strings?

Chords that hold the heart

 Or is the heart dragging this down?

Is it an air balloon!?

Perhaps its about clouded hearts...

Heavy hearted.

 

I think I like it without the cloud.

A suspended hangar.

It is cleaner.

Even possibly weightless.

A poetry of ordinary things.

Rough: knotted strings, dirty glove, clumsy stitching.

How does the cloud or the hangar change the meaning?

What is the meaning?