1/11/11 and Other Cryptic Messages

January of 2011 started in unusual fashion. With temperatures in the high 50's, it wasn't what we come to expect. The ice dunes were reduced and the skirt of ice along the shore disappeared and for a short time we were transported forward in time to May. We usually get one such spell of pleasantry, but usually not in January. After this temporary breath of warmth we returned to the chill that is our lot and we are now in our tenth consecutive day of 20's and lower. The real hammer blow of winter has yet to fall, that week to ten days of single digits with wind chills that freeze your eyeball juice and scour your soul.

While we are waiting, I've been down to the beach for some small works and to add to some existing pieces, so here are a couple of messages.

December Paintings from the Pattern Recognition Project

Some paintings from last month. The top one is a 20 by 20 watercolor playing with ice another small ice study at the bottom and another little stone study. Still exploring textures and the compression of space with some successes and some not so good, but I think I'll be at this for at least another year in one form or another. I've got some beach sketches for the next post. Happy New Year.