Song Birds, Ribbons of Blackbirds and the Doppler Affect
A blizzard blew in 12 inches of snow, creating a flurry of bird activity at the feeders.
Within a short time, the dominant Red Winged Blackbirds took over the feeders, leaving the songbirds out on a limb.
We'd kept the songbirds fed all winter, and here it was, a major winter storm, with their food source unavailable, and bitterly cold! I wondered how much feed it would take to have enough for any bird that showed up, and scattered 30 more pounds of seed (20 pounds already out) in ten raised bed boxes, and within minutes, there were ten boxes of Red Winged Blackbirds.
The sounds of their wings thrill. They take flight all at once, the wingbeats fading in and out like the doppler affect when a train going by, a f-f-f-d-d-d-dddddddddd-d-d-f then as they disappear.
The Blackbirds quickly became most interested in the ground seed in boxes. The songbirds returned and populated the feeders!
The joy of it built up until it was a sort of ecstatic energy, that ultimately led to painting, following the ribbons of movement.
In the studio: Six windows of birds, six - six foot paintings (The Bird Ribbons Series) are on the walls, another storm, fresh snow, more bird seed, and a spotted dog - bird movement seen and felt.
Back to Tree Skeletons and Monotones
It's shocking to be back in the Midwest. The north wind blows through wool layers, the trees are bare and there are only the palest hues. There's been one hoary frost, that reminds me of winter's beauty.
Usually cold weather elicits a warm palette in the studio for balance, but right now, maybe just in the transition, it feels insincere. The monotones are reflected in the studio.
A trip to the Bloch Building at the Nelson-Atkins Museum, offered a quick transformation. Walking into the building is to be enveloped within a many hued white sculpture. As always, spending time in front of William Baziotes' Crescent, reaches deeply into the warmth of being. The tag describing it, is pure nourishment for a cold February day. https://art.nelson-atkins.org/objects/4685/crescent ,
The next morning, a little shadow and light feels like a visual ballet.
The beach is the barest memory...
The Relationship between What is Seen, and What Happens
When I'm working in abstraction, there's a natural move towards a color, a mark, and then a sort of conversation ensues that carries the piece to completion. After the a day's work, it's common to see in the paintings what's in the forefront for me experientially. Until now, unless it's referenced in a title, I've never recorded it. Creating this photo journal is causing me to take a more formal look at the relationship between what is seen, and what is created.
It's just guesswork though, who knows really where paintings come from.
The Warmth of the Sun
While the colors on the gulf are pale to intense blues, sand and shells, the warmth of the sun shows up.
Work Surface
While staying on the Gulf of Mexico, the studio is made from a 4x8 piece of plywood strung up outside. The Sun Drenched Series started here, and dried on a clothesline:
The Poetry of Fish Bones
Fish bones: stripped bare the delicate balance of life, delicately orchestrated, their perfect grace most often drifts unseen to the ocean floor.
Red Tide
Red Tide prevails here. The sea concocts toxins first felt in the lungs when winds blow towards shore. The ocean turns yellowish green and the birds all move from the water to the beach. Several days later, remains of the affected underworld are tossed out on the shore. The creative process begins...