Back At It

So a new stone stacking season begins. The photo below shows the progress before the big storms of the late Fall.

Then after the big storms, this photo shows the salvage missions of the storm aftermaths. This is what things looked like going into the winter season. I did not like my chances for having anything survive with the big winter wind storms we experienced .

This is where it stands now as we begin the season. It survived largely intact. The damage to the upper portions was not storms but vandals tearing off the top courses and tossing them to the ground. There are no shortage of assholes in the world...and the gods themselves contend in vain.

 

Tumbling Bodies

So in the process of doing all of this figure painting, one of the models had a penchant for trying these really contorted poses...channeling her inner gymnast. And although the result was some really interesting anatomical studies, I couldn't for the life of me figure how I could ever use them in a finished work. Sure Luca Signorelli's Damned Consigned to Hell from the Orvieto Cathedral uses such figures, or the back wall of the Sistine Chapel, but I was coming up empty. Then one weekend while in Columbus visiting my daughter, I took a walk in Schiller Park and hanging from wires throughout the park are these lovely figure sculptures. I photographed a couple of the more interesting ones to show my classes. And later, while looking at the pictures on my iPad, the light went on and so...

 

The Covid Year Continues

 

The Equinox has passed, the anniversary of my mother's death and birth as well. Birds and light are returning. I have been vaccinated, with no issues. Hasn't made a difference in day to day life for me, but hopefully for others. Below are two new paintings from the Architectonic series of works I have been playing with. The top one is Erie. Taken from a bunch of places I photographed...factories and plants, houses and places of recreation. The bottom one is a smaller piece taken from the jamb statues of Chartres Cathedral. I did this to kill time in school. I'm now working on a small one from some temples in Tibet. Hope to have it done by the end of the month. Still doing lots of figure paintings.