tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67972761037362866822024-02-07T17:47:15.807-05:00A Painter's PaletteGainor Roberts, Artist
www.gainor.bizGainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-39923170574704040882018-09-09T10:29:00.000-04:002018-09-09T10:32:48.164-04:00September 7, 2018 <br />
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This is what I saw when I walked into Dunedin Fine Art Center at 5:30 on the 7th. I had to struggle to keep myself from bursting into tears. I had an idea of where these paintings of mine would be hung, and an idea of how they were going to put them all together on the wall in the entrance hall, but the visual upon entering the Fine Art Center was overwhelming. Many years ago I had a show in Westerly, Rhode Island where the curator put out to the newspaper that "Gainor's paintings are like a custard pie in the face". He meant it as a compliment and I took it as such, and that was what it felt like on Friday night! Thank you to everyone at Dunedin Fine Art Center for this amazing show of my Genesis paintings. It was truly spectacular, and I observed people totally wrapped up in looking closely at each one. <a href="http://www.dfac.org/">www.dfac.org</a> is their website.</div>
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I posed for many photographs that evening, and this one taken by my dear friend, Kit Tobin, reflected my happiness. I am grateful to all my friends for the support they gave me all week, as my nerves were in an uproar with anticipation. Those of us with out of control imaginations, coupled with huge control issues, do not do well handing over 42 paintings to a facility I had no experience with, and the multiple movie scenarios in the mental vault of disasters was working full time. As is usually the case, all that ended at 5:30 on Friday night and I could relax, finally.</div>
Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-70139218806373294102018-09-07T13:34:00.000-04:002018-09-07T13:34:02.012-04:00The Genesis Series at Dunedin Fine Art Center<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_NbpsuoSHtTXu6vY54Ip63PtjCsYwRLUu9tM7JaES-XGASEWQsnSvyD07Ra4GsmWwAR37stn66V7cuOaNoE00YTW5rPS64HcwjeOVHIMYoYZRctn4Go6eI0vgw0rsQ243z2zozzhsCw/s1600/Genesis+Series.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="781" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_NbpsuoSHtTXu6vY54Ip63PtjCsYwRLUu9tM7JaES-XGASEWQsnSvyD07Ra4GsmWwAR37stn66V7cuOaNoE00YTW5rPS64HcwjeOVHIMYoYZRctn4Go6eI0vgw0rsQ243z2zozzhsCw/s320/Genesis+Series.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 18.0pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">FEATURING 40 EGG TEMPERA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><span lang="en-US" style="color: #993366; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 26.0pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; line-height: 84%; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #993366; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">Exhibit Hours</span><span lang="en-US" style="color: #993366; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 26.0pt; language: en-US; line-height: 84%; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #993366; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"><br />
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Sat: 10:00am – 2:00pm<br />
Sun: 1:00pm – 4:00pm <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 18.0pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; line-height: 75%; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>www.dfac.org or www.gainor.biz<br />
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October 2-3, 2018 All day - All Materials<br />
Check websites for more information</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 18.0pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; line-height: 75%; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-42287599468008693132017-06-19T09:06:00.003-04:002017-06-19T09:11:12.479-04:00Masquerade Work in Progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JG1IkoSOgzUbJKiokws1e7VffAHSFJI8BdZoeaptUSWm1SPAvEswC5G7WREK3MwKDRes_D3kLpSCPu6XDarrC6CJpFSZrIt8RuEa1UWbENF5RZTdgRX1m3fU-u-zDX8JA0QzA-nI_ks/s1600/6-16-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="644" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JG1IkoSOgzUbJKiokws1e7VffAHSFJI8BdZoeaptUSWm1SPAvEswC5G7WREK3MwKDRes_D3kLpSCPu6XDarrC6CJpFSZrIt8RuEa1UWbENF5RZTdgRX1m3fU-u-zDX8JA0QzA-nI_ks/s400/6-16-17.jpg" width="321" /></a></div>
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June 19, 2017</div>
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Still much to do!!!</div>
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Scroll backwards to see the beginning of my Masquerade Posts. If you don't know what this painting is about you might want to view The Backstory posted on June 13, 2017</div>
<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-83180741552562050512017-06-13T17:47:00.001-04:002017-06-19T09:12:08.794-04:00Masquerade the Beginning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaH8iBH25pnA13j_20ZvytB7WgjLsQZycYQfyAGI_S9ltXZlg6fqUlo7-nqX_OK8DvxTAPhCKckL6TZvbGY_pQt7iTuX7Ct0DLp3VUo8v6QghoUr3on2sAQbc95CNuFN9m5UR_1C4ndvA/s1600/masquerade+in+progress+6-13-17+for+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1141" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaH8iBH25pnA13j_20ZvytB7WgjLsQZycYQfyAGI_S9ltXZlg6fqUlo7-nqX_OK8DvxTAPhCKckL6TZvbGY_pQt7iTuX7Ct0DLp3VUo8v6QghoUr3on2sAQbc95CNuFN9m5UR_1C4ndvA/s400/masquerade+in+progress+6-13-17+for+blog.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
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Masquerade Oil on Linen 24 x 30 </div>
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work in progress</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiog9B2IO7aOQeUGRaGEx0RmpMxJiQbMf9oF_Ka6yd1PsWPEVlDgykjFqz04kma748sbIBxN3NGsoh9FLOd9bs6IC5BShXilHF7AIDUBNrEherKzXdEwveNjLscZrH4mEYhtPwxUyDgxk/s1600/masquerade+for+blog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="800" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiog9B2IO7aOQeUGRaGEx0RmpMxJiQbMf9oF_Ka6yd1PsWPEVlDgykjFqz04kma748sbIBxN3NGsoh9FLOd9bs6IC5BShXilHF7AIDUBNrEherKzXdEwveNjLscZrH4mEYhtPwxUyDgxk/s320/masquerade+for+blog.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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June 13, 2017</div>
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I am working on Masquerade from the setup which is in the distance beyond my painting, and also from a photograph that is on the easel to the left that has been blown up to be the same size as the canvas. This is a very detailed painting of two ceramic heads with sparkly masks on them. These figures represent my parents, in the amazing masquerade surrounding my birth, which was by artificial insemination. The Backstory is below for those of you who have the interest and time to read the story of my parents and their desire for a child.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4p6lh1q-4Mpg7F_J0Z61Kw0P1zfGmrN_0Jvb7pGzr8_g1p2DEjTJjDqvNGuC7oYHtdMz4fE6RgZL6DsNnNei3UM-BXgQUv9fBa5g4_bSTl-u_ezOMQEv-rCjETsBi38OW6-XaQdlFDP8/s1600/painting+start+for+blog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4p6lh1q-4Mpg7F_J0Z61Kw0P1zfGmrN_0Jvb7pGzr8_g1p2DEjTJjDqvNGuC7oYHtdMz4fE6RgZL6DsNnNei3UM-BXgQUv9fBa5g4_bSTl-u_ezOMQEv-rCjETsBi38OW6-XaQdlFDP8/s1600/painting+start+for+blog.JPG" /></a></div>
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This painting is built on the methods used by classical painters rather than my usual Impressionist approach. I placed a toned ground all over the painting, grey as a neutral tonal base. The idea is to then paint the parts that are red with an under painting of white, over which the red is painted. Red over the dark ground would be rather dull. You see here my initial construction of the forms and the red painted in a few places. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iFpj7lHnF9of7W7AUDkEd3TtcdE3acHHfr31dMQMhzxz-EbT6hKInjyvVDx7VBEhy3sKh0IawcD81rUEChy_0mtET6b9WJdqoO0C9y_Un1OEjzJ8kl-UZfBxLPzGCNyuNOmzMjSjyDI/s1600/painting+detail+for+blog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="251" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iFpj7lHnF9of7W7AUDkEd3TtcdE3acHHfr31dMQMhzxz-EbT6hKInjyvVDx7VBEhy3sKh0IawcD81rUEChy_0mtET6b9WJdqoO0C9y_Un1OEjzJ8kl-UZfBxLPzGCNyuNOmzMjSjyDI/s320/painting+detail+for+blog.JPG" width="221" /></a></div>
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As the painting progresses the reds and blacks get painted in, constructed and painted over and over until the painting is finished. The detail of that figured cloth is a mind bender and has me totally exhausted. There is much more to come!</div>
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<b>MASQUERADE The backstory</b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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When I was 50 years old, my husband and I were living with
my mother on Mason’s Island, an island located in Fisher’s Island sound, near
Mystic, Connecticut. One evening I was in the kitchen and my mother came into
the room and standing the whole time, said she had something to tell me. I was
shocked to learn that my father, Arthur Roberts, was not my biologic father, as
he was, according to Mom, sterile, and in those pre-wartime years, having
children was your patriotic duty, and my mother desired a child more than
anything. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Evidently, there had been a previous attempt at sperm
donation that was aborted due to her life being endangered. I had heard about
that as a child, but not the part about sperm donation. I was told about that
because I pestered my mother about why I had no sisters or brothers, and I do
recall stories about a great sadness when my sibling was relegated to a lab
specimen to be studied. Certainly, there were many things that most parents
wouldn’t dream of sharing with their children and that was one of them. But my childhood was different, and I knew it even back then.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I asked Mom if she
had records, and she shook her head. No records, and her recollection about
where this sperm bank was located was hazy; New York City, Columbia University
she thought, or near there, or associated with. <o:p></o:p></div>
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She said that Oprah Winfrey said she should tell, and since
Mom was watching Oprah’s show most every afternoon during those years the
secret was outed. I have since learned that all sperm recipients were advised
to never tell anyone, as this was supposed to be protection for everyone
involved. Our society has come a long way since 1941, and it is no longer such
a horror show for people who desire a child and find that sperm donation is the
last resort. My mother told me she was going to leave an account of my origin
in her safe deposit box for me to find after she was dead. She was nervous and
anxious, and I wondered later if she was violating a signed agreement to never
disclose anything about this event. I assumed she felt enormous shame about all
this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Like other children who didn’t know until later in life, I
had odd feelings of alienation. As a small child, I fantasied that the stork
dropped me off in the wrong house. I never did form a real bond with my father,
although I respected him and later in life was grateful for all the
opportunities he afforded me. But I always felt that he never “got” me,
especially as we warred over my art desires, and he thought it was a nice hobby
but I was never encouraged by him to follow my heart. My mother told me that my
father, my grandmother, and she were the only ones who knew. Although I suspect
that there may have been some Philadelphia medical people who were in on it,
but that’s just supposition.<o:p></o:p></div>
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She had only vague recollections of where this procedure had
been done, and it was odd that she had gone to New York City, since the very
first artificial insemination was performed in Philadelphia, by a professor at
the Jefferson Medical College, where I was born some 50 years later. This was
achieved by William Pancoast, which was an odd coincidence since people by that
name lived up the street and I was an adorable flower girl in the Pancoast
daughter’s wedding. Odd, that one. <o:p></o:p><br />
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I was left with trying to figure out what all this was
meaning, using the Internet in 1991, which was not what it is today, for sure.
Not finding anything concrete, realized that if I wanted more records, or information
I’d have to hire a private investigator and that looked like a lot of money for
possibly no results. Recently I have found that back then they didn’t keep any
records at all, and so it was impossible to track records down, and sperm
donors were paid for their semen, and it was possible that clinics were small,
and not sperm banks as we know them today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dominoes fell into place for me that night. I said to my
mother, “so is that why you named me after one of Arthur Robert’s ancestors?”
Yes, indeed, and the masquerade was hyped to the hilt when we 3 made a
pilgrimage to Wales to the tiny village where my namesake was born. I have a
photo of me, at about age 22, holding this antique ledger book pointing to the
entry for Gainor John. Evidently, she, along with many other Gainors, migrated
to eastern Pennsylvania, thanks to the king’s grant to William Penn. I have
celebrated the choice of my name, after I got over wanting to be Susan or Judy!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I realized that night that I was distanced from Dad’s
relatives which I suppose is related to tribal bonds and associations. I never had a need to forge firm relationships with my
cousins although I did tell two of them about my origins and occasionally see one of my cousins.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So many questions? So, that’s why I don’t resemble any of
them, but Mom and I are lookalikes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I didn’t feel the need for maintaining the secrecy of my
origins, except to continue to protect my mother, who I assumed was laboring
under extreme shame, rather than violation of a secrecy oath. I tried to get my
mother to talk about it again and she shut it off by saying she never wanted to
talk of it again. So, what to do. I told many of my friends, and one of them
called me one day asking to come visit me in my studio. Don arrived waving a
calendar of photographs of Albert Einstein, and he claimed to have studied his
life extensively and knew he was depositing sperm in banks and clinics in New
York City, and therefore I was Einstein’s daughter. I look like him, he said. Hahahahaha!
I laughed so hard. Me who could not add until I obtained one of the first
handheld calculators in high school. Never been far away from one ever since. <o:p></o:p></div>
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To me, it was all I needed to shut it all down. So, I was
Einstein’s daughter and that was enough for me to go on forever. It was a
bizarre and funny fantasy, that I told many of my friends to much mirth, and
probably some consternation, from some quarters. My feelings bordered on anger because
my mother did not want to hear me celebrating her courage for going through
such traumatic times, twice, just before the second war broke out. I was often
left with my grandmother during my toddler days, and “Granny” was my anchor
through many trying times to come. Later she moved to the remodeled carriage
house on the Chestnut Hill property, and she offered escape during the violent storms
in our house.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That night, 25 years ago, Mother told me that my father had
suffered a nervous breakdown and was in a “sanitarium” (what they called mental
hospitals back then), since this must have been hugely traumatic for him, and
honoring his Quaker religion, he registered as a conscientious objector which
was certainly not celebrated by most American patriots. He did many duties to
help the war effort, including airplane spotting, ambulance driving, and
walking the New Jersey beaches looking for German submarine sailors. I do not
know the details of his mental problems but he was scary, as he had a horrible
temper and frequently used it to abuse my mother. I lived in terror that they
would kill each other and lived through a childhood of nightly terrors until my
mother left him, only to be called back from her 20-mile escape to a motel
where she was found by her mother and my father. I was hysterical for hours,
indicating to them that their wars were mental torture for me. My father was an
attorney and during those years he worked for his uncle, where he found out
there were illegal activities in the firm, and I guess Dad had ethical problems
about how to handle that situation. I don’t know how that resolved, or if it
contributed to his mental state, but after I was born, sometime in the 40s he
went to work as general counsel for SKF Industries, where he remained for the
rest of his work life. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Several people suggested that I get a DNA test, but the
results, even a few years ago, would only give you your ethnicity, and some
genetic disease risks. And it was quite expensive.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Flash forward to March of 2017 and I am listening to a
friend in my AA meeting talking about her DNA results which had freaked her
out, finding a relative she didn’t know about. I told my meeting that night
about my genetic history and how I was actually Einstein’s daughter and
everyone cracked up. However, I also said out loud “maybe I should do a
painting about all this.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ideas for paintings often percolate in my mind for many
years, and sometimes they reside in my sub-conscious coming forth in dreams and
day dreams. One percolation was to do a painting using masquerade masks. I had
some black ceramic heads that I had used in another painting, and after a trip
to Pier One to look for masks I came home with two masks that I thought I could
do something with. Looking at them left me cold, and putting them on those
black ceramic heads left me colder. The whole thing went back onto my prop
shelf. It would come down when I needed to set up a new painting, thinking that
it might be time to paint those masks. No, cold again. Back up on the shelf
again. This went on several more times, and once again, this spring, they were
put on the table with the idea that I might do a still life of them.
Masquerade; I just couldn’t connect the dots. I left them there and after I
said, “maybe I should do a painting about this” the dots connected! Wow... now
I know what Masquerade is all about! Mom and Dad and the incredible dance they
did to birth me, keep it secret, and pretend about it all the way to Wales and
back.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A few weeks later I ordered a saliva test kit from 23&me
to get my DNA checked.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And the result is that I am NOT Einstein’s daughter! Much to
everyone’s chagrin, including mine. The result of the DNA test showed me the
list of relatives, and a first cousin was the first on the list, with a name
that is not in our genealogic charts, and my ethnicity was listed as 51.7%
Jewish. Oh...my....God! I sent a message through the 23&me website to that
person who was listed as a first cousin and had a reply the next day from his
daughter. I’m not going to use their name, in respect for their privacy, as
this story is going to be on my blog. A few emails back and forth and I have a
photograph of the family that probably includes my donor father. All Jewish!
Wow... that explains a lot; my attraction to many Jewish friends, and weird
fantasies that I should visit a Temple to just see what goes on there. I find
this all extraordinary and incredible. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My mother and father were not overt bigots, but they did not
pal around with Jewish people, and when I brought home a few boys that had
Jewish names my father was very persuasive with me to discontinue that
association. I dated others when I was older and kept it secret from my father.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am left with many more questions that can’t ever be
answered. I have no need to pursue my paternal family further, since it doesn’t
seem to make much difference in my life at this point, at age 75 when just
finding out these details is enough. But the charade, the masquerade my parents
lived is explosive in my heart. Very early in my young life, I was maybe 6 or7,
I had fantasies of committing “sewerside”, which had to do with jumping down
the storm drain on the street near my house, and finding something like an
Alice in Wonderland awaiting me. I felt that my parents would finally be
peaceful without me being around, as somehow I KNEW that I was the problem. I
guess because I spent hours listening to their arguments through the heating
grate in the bathroom down the hallway from my bedroom. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So, the masquerade masks are off now, and now I know I WAS
the problem! <o:p></o:p></div>
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My painting is about the play of tangled love and weird
interpersonal relationships, where we all wear masks, some more horrible than
others. But masks are intended to hide behind, and in my life, there were
certainly some very big masks to be worn! I guess I grew up skewed, in some
way. I formed friendships with girls who had “safe” homes and spent many hours
with them. The truth of my birth does close many doors and open a few others. I
vacillate between thinking there is more to know and not being willing to spend
any more time on charts, census reports, and genetic history. I am willing to
spend time with my painting, and the Masquerade painting, which is in progress at
this point (June 13, 2017). I think it is the final door that I am either
opening or shutting, I don’t know which.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-83044899694678308942016-10-21T07:46:00.002-04:002016-10-21T07:46:50.651-04:00THE END OF GUILT!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvD_GiycxNrjCF5Lom2vec6GFY2biRw7l8L9FvdYGJLvXTIe2Bcl-kHlCIp5SN9jr40polf9eHz9P-lyUFHGRRWqGHTvkezyOTQ7pvVS_XkTWKPPhkbJuMDAGrcVQIVCqYI02xQ3feXa4/s1600/signing+2small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvD_GiycxNrjCF5Lom2vec6GFY2biRw7l8L9FvdYGJLvXTIe2Bcl-kHlCIp5SN9jr40polf9eHz9P-lyUFHGRRWqGHTvkezyOTQ7pvVS_XkTWKPPhkbJuMDAGrcVQIVCqYI02xQ3feXa4/s400/signing+2small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Irma, Gainor, Natalia, Susan</div>
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Yes, this is the final, as I decided to sign it and have my Thursday students witness my signature. Odd idea, as I've never had that idea before, and I doubt that I will have it again. But I knew I was going to sign it on Thursday, October 20, and that is the day my students come to my studio, so it seemed appropriate to have them see the end of this painting that they have lived with for all this time. I started to dismantle the set up in my studio later that day, and it will be odd to have all that stuff stowed, and returned to owners.<br />
After six years of wrestling with "Shame" I decided to have a party to mark the end of that episode and many of my friends came and we dismantled the still life that evening. I contemplated doing that again, but it seemed to be more of an effort than fun, so I scrapped that thought as quickly as I had it, and settled on the quiet and easy end of Guilt as you see it above.<br />
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<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-22337968975392940072016-10-19T11:29:00.004-04:002016-10-19T11:29:53.908-04:00IS THIS THE END???<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzVn318hE-mGv1ndsNHP-Wg91N3IoAJi0vz5WwwrFFUCnkTBQDVw7Q-RwN5ODOKiI9ujmXl7zCn1HYJxJJ6DZyvVtilz9a5nEt1WYQd-79mM4S_zqZepHmHlmB6Bmup17XBD5GAtvoNE/s1600/10-19-16+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzVn318hE-mGv1ndsNHP-Wg91N3IoAJi0vz5WwwrFFUCnkTBQDVw7Q-RwN5ODOKiI9ujmXl7zCn1HYJxJJ6DZyvVtilz9a5nEt1WYQd-79mM4S_zqZepHmHlmB6Bmup17XBD5GAtvoNE/s400/10-19-16+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My last post was 3 months ago! I thought I was close to the end then, but all sorts of interruptions came between me and Guilt, so it had to wait for me to get those things done before I could come back to it. I have been working on it for quite a few sessions this month and I believe it is finished. I have not signed it yet, waiting for some last minute repaints to dry before I call it quits, just to make sure it doesn't need anything else. I was unhappy with the lace fabric on the left side of the painting, and it has required two repaints since the last post! But today I have just finished repainting those lace do-dads and think it is OK now. What a lot of effort that has been. Note to self: shoot me with that rifle if I decide to do black lace again!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBo3-xGW4cpTU-2_NVsXoLM2jZAunhujqNYkfaTbdKhlxLdCEN6HvJe3BohYiMLn9DIqbYtg43tPN-7j-UxNY-1x8cnd9FBQH6knNmfWM4KM2nnXNmfykGADjd4MKSGMUmi_kFworT7bk/s1600/GER+painting+lace+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBo3-xGW4cpTU-2_NVsXoLM2jZAunhujqNYkfaTbdKhlxLdCEN6HvJe3BohYiMLn9DIqbYtg43tPN-7j-UxNY-1x8cnd9FBQH6knNmfWM4KM2nnXNmfykGADjd4MKSGMUmi_kFworT7bk/s320/GER+painting+lace+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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this was two days ago when I tackled that lace again. In the background you can see Miss Puss asleep on the bed, and the photo blowup of Guilt against the wall and the 3-d set up of the paintings behind my head. I am working with a 20-0 brush. Insanity!</div>
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I will probably sign it tomorrow. I have a "rule" that after one of my paintings is signed it is done and I very seldom work on it again, so I need to make sure it is really done before I put my name on it.</div>
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<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-78332220480253103342016-07-06T14:47:00.001-04:002016-07-06T14:47:38.642-04:00Guilt 7-6-16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDALQeR6PGY7vSnnPyJcPw4GYsChEPYzg1tfdEOihczwlcYI7g28AsZi4HLxja7o33JWBe7aW5BafGdeFOaCoN5SLO8xxSjYNtkwXjZ-_l53T1JE5ULHAXdg7hgRbRG8VeWI8gwe54u5I/s1600/7-6-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDALQeR6PGY7vSnnPyJcPw4GYsChEPYzg1tfdEOihczwlcYI7g28AsZi4HLxja7o33JWBe7aW5BafGdeFOaCoN5SLO8xxSjYNtkwXjZ-_l53T1JE5ULHAXdg7hgRbRG8VeWI8gwe54u5I/s400/7-6-16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am pushing to get Guilt finished. This past week I have about 16 or 17 hours into it and I am happy to say that the end is in sight! Wow, what a lot of work, time, energy, focus, and eyestrain! I do have more details to finalize. It is just the finishing go-through of tweaking here and redoing there.Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-75766153571329037592016-06-20T08:03:00.000-04:002016-06-20T08:03:13.723-04:00Guilt 6-19-16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFQNadRyk8mGn4bYfVW01HXkfvnsqPL0Qmi8CEzRpxRowZSYp6TlwKGIf7GQvUwaaINiwXyW6zPtYq_2L9XK7OaJB-JlnpU5lmOfaFbljU0S2zRmNcMFsr8EhMZnPOoUyZ36iAVkAw8w/s1600/6-19-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFQNadRyk8mGn4bYfVW01HXkfvnsqPL0Qmi8CEzRpxRowZSYp6TlwKGIf7GQvUwaaINiwXyW6zPtYq_2L9XK7OaJB-JlnpU5lmOfaFbljU0S2zRmNcMFsr8EhMZnPOoUyZ36iAVkAw8w/s400/6-19-16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Work is progressing well! I spent Sunday working on the pink drapery coming out of the black suitcase and spent a lot of attention on the iridescent drape attached to the drawer handles. It is beginning to have a "finished" look to it now. Good... perhaps the end is in sight. I am ready to move on! </div>
<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-2345269147981216572016-06-06T09:48:00.003-04:002016-06-06T09:48:54.932-04:00Guilt 6-5-16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMDHB7z19VP6lIn6fOEql0BTPhA5SMgj8WCnu3PPe3o_zEFbLotamu0d7aof4U2z3tcK3yXfilmRSYNTc6DA0hAQj4kNIFgICi_2KJLdhQ9TIb7Y94sea0aHwJW1uWj_nUpzm9xyfliQ/s1600/6-5-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMDHB7z19VP6lIn6fOEql0BTPhA5SMgj8WCnu3PPe3o_zEFbLotamu0d7aof4U2z3tcK3yXfilmRSYNTc6DA0hAQj4kNIFgICi_2KJLdhQ9TIb7Y94sea0aHwJW1uWj_nUpzm9xyfliQ/s400/6-5-16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have been concentrating on the left side of the painting working on items in the bookcase and finishing up a few of those bags and boxes. The paper bag on the floor is probably finished and the drawer handles are much improved, but not finished especially on the middle and right drawers. I worked on the black suitcase as well. </div>
<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-69948390457521444512016-05-18T18:56:00.002-04:002016-05-23T11:53:00.410-04:00After 6 hours of hard work!<div style="text-align: center;">
Nothing much is different!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxUanAaYxxWfxp_aEEoFHtZyRHI0vnnj6cntwH9KXlY92eZZ1t4F8SrVa7JX5xI-X12L8NpmDczVS__b8x6G_zNOQwCptb4BxUzdZG9t_sHnzo4CdHhSXNkaCBKU-utBtNPXfRZ27D7M/s1600/5-18-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxUanAaYxxWfxp_aEEoFHtZyRHI0vnnj6cntwH9KXlY92eZZ1t4F8SrVa7JX5xI-X12L8NpmDczVS__b8x6G_zNOQwCptb4BxUzdZG9t_sHnzo4CdHhSXNkaCBKU-utBtNPXfRZ27D7M/s400/5-18-16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I did get a great deal of work done, but it is not immediately apparent. The bookcase is coming along and I painted on the red briefcase and the brown pocketbook on the middle shelf. The big thing I did was paint the drawers and I decided to paint out the drawer hardware and redo the handles. Each one was a different size and the drawing was not great. So I decided to cut a few stencils and I am hoping that will give me the handles in a uniform size. We shall see when I try it after the paint has dried. There is much more to do! </div>
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Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-42994884267322087242016-05-03T16:48:00.001-04:002016-05-03T16:48:41.582-04:00Guilt has me exhausted!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxoMlAx7BUzAVpRS_oVZ1TeaoKkDRShMIojnAO59kpS0XFHwEw2tX5Kw7URUBH0lys0xinRvbn7_RGFLm8YP0B9IbNQhFHYhZtny-jDlKZucKa7RN2ZIXbx0fybp9y3uu_nZNpBefnYk/s1600/5-3-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxoMlAx7BUzAVpRS_oVZ1TeaoKkDRShMIojnAO59kpS0XFHwEw2tX5Kw7URUBH0lys0xinRvbn7_RGFLm8YP0B9IbNQhFHYhZtny-jDlKZucKa7RN2ZIXbx0fybp9y3uu_nZNpBefnYk/s320/5-3-16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It doesn't look like I did much in the 5 hours I worked today! But the photo below shows that darned laced wrapped around the edge, and it is OK but not perfect. Well, none of it is perfect, and if you could see it close up you would know that it isn't photo-realism! I am now going through the entire painting again and wrapping up areas. Today I worked on the front of the table and the bookcase, on the left side where you can see that I toned down the highlight on the wood upright. The right side remains to be done another time. I also painted the box on top of the bookcase, and began to work on the brief case on the first shelf. Now, it is one item at a time, putting on more paint, working on values, and making sure the drawing is right.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsI-ylt33lIx886SbL0ovoLPAmaCTvW39eGUyLCgZv7YNgnHJREzwyl-aKrZ-eFx9wgKErj5NNTzShkrI7pgUZNJRa4oLyoaIz_-L24j0DmKtWdz7Xufta9Hs5awpYAw_kQ1WEkpvJFg/s1600/5-3-16+side+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsI-ylt33lIx886SbL0ovoLPAmaCTvW39eGUyLCgZv7YNgnHJREzwyl-aKrZ-eFx9wgKErj5NNTzShkrI7pgUZNJRa4oLyoaIz_-L24j0DmKtWdz7Xufta9Hs5awpYAw_kQ1WEkpvJFg/s320/5-3-16+side+view.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-84612618808138056832016-04-25T10:57:00.003-04:002016-04-25T10:57:49.139-04:00Painting Lace!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TZ-2fcq9xKRrinNe8XBqhTeIH4mtEQA4TrcIThQqUhimycqvN172Gvh4D1WGUvQoAzhmG8Cm0Uoo99YyyIgpHZbCqkJ22Q1rfzig7OX7LLGyBezDb2fQr-I1NnlCEzvitrne0ddmFbI/s1600/4-25-16+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TZ-2fcq9xKRrinNe8XBqhTeIH4mtEQA4TrcIThQqUhimycqvN172Gvh4D1WGUvQoAzhmG8Cm0Uoo99YyyIgpHZbCqkJ22Q1rfzig7OX7LLGyBezDb2fQr-I1NnlCEzvitrne0ddmFbI/s320/4-25-16+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's not quite done....the lace, I mean, not the painting. I still have some touching up to do on the lace fabric on both sides, and I need to work on wrapping the image around to the sides. That's another exercise in tedium! It is coming along, slowly. I am now thinking about the next painting, and wondering how that's going to be accomplished. Much to think about, and software must be bought and learned before I can dive into that one's complexities. I still have much to do on Guilt, however, even though it looks quite well along. Now that the lace is done I feel somewhat relieved to go on about my way on the rest of it.</div>
<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-34858924611814524112016-04-16T15:21:00.000-04:002016-04-20T07:12:56.561-04:00Guilt - Painting Lace!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBi4PhxldwvNnWGwYQk-6Ldwsm-tt1BYMUiynIA14lqaw6R84AHlCAfrB0_jqSQK-snUC9gii4p6e8pbQbQglLtBye9gkF1KBqY741Kc_jcifsuF2HzyTmRxI2xcd7kFpM-pvxMLJAA-Q/s1600/4-16-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBi4PhxldwvNnWGwYQk-6Ldwsm-tt1BYMUiynIA14lqaw6R84AHlCAfrB0_jqSQK-snUC9gii4p6e8pbQbQglLtBye9gkF1KBqY741Kc_jcifsuF2HzyTmRxI2xcd7kFpM-pvxMLJAA-Q/s320/4-16-16.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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This represents about 6 or 7 hours of painting, not including the hours of preparatory work making a clear plastic overlay, then transferring that to the canvas. Obviously there will be 6 or 7 hours more painting, but I'm totally exhausted and I'm quitting for today.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHVdv0Yb_gWxgYClcTLrM6EZQUrnv1JnkbCS-hEjo0OeSj8BvafILqS_xhw7fPjoQO7YmcwOGHwKHCcoPc0nr47orfeNQME4e94WC6rrG0HmJzVH0EBkjxT71VGLkHyFHsnkBJoY3j-s/s1600/4-16-16+painting+lace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHVdv0Yb_gWxgYClcTLrM6EZQUrnv1JnkbCS-hEjo0OeSj8BvafILqS_xhw7fPjoQO7YmcwOGHwKHCcoPc0nr47orfeNQME4e94WC6rrG0HmJzVH0EBkjxT71VGLkHyFHsnkBJoY3j-s/s320/4-16-16+painting+lace.jpg" width="177" /></a></div>
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This tedious exercise is one that I hope I don't do to myself too many more times! What you see is the lace fabric partially painted, after a lengthy transfer to the canvas using several transfer methods. On the left side I used Richeson Transfer paper that seems to disappear when painted over, but it is hard to see on a dark field so I use my own transfer paper that I learned to make in an Egg Tempera workshop. Pigment of any color mixed with Denatured Alcohol and painted onto tracing paper. Some colors are better than others, and what you see here is my own transfer paper made with a yellow ochre pigment. Sometimes I need to go over it with a yellow pastel pencil. It is, as I said.... tedious!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ-Sf_4lmE-KPVXraCJnSKpGCEX98xqspSwldDumoGDIXImhS3RWa5xbVq4ubkGtMfNkqLk77hwx9E0T8ur4_NrMvXKsOT3DSvos9KW9lObqRVtr7eO_3cJMe2QD9wZZ_85tP-eGDLTs/s1600/4-16-16+painting+lace+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ-Sf_4lmE-KPVXraCJnSKpGCEX98xqspSwldDumoGDIXImhS3RWa5xbVq4ubkGtMfNkqLk77hwx9E0T8ur4_NrMvXKsOT3DSvos9KW9lObqRVtr7eO_3cJMe2QD9wZZ_85tP-eGDLTs/s320/4-16-16+painting+lace+detail.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-44198931336794050012016-04-03T09:19:00.003-04:002016-04-03T09:21:16.076-04:00I have been working on Guilt!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYScBHU7fYvjN2e0dGAsC5WhHQeNkLG5K_-oCGYe1LelYo6g0tA_4QatYFWH3Tt1NhCuR7lewd1iPjO4v8gH2brMtU9uxiFqzUUexio9J_2khe6xwT_mLQ5TzhvNZdNhC0lJVewGsfRVA/s1600/Guilt+4-1-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYScBHU7fYvjN2e0dGAsC5WhHQeNkLG5K_-oCGYe1LelYo6g0tA_4QatYFWH3Tt1NhCuR7lewd1iPjO4v8gH2brMtU9uxiFqzUUexio9J_2khe6xwT_mLQ5TzhvNZdNhC0lJVewGsfRVA/s400/Guilt+4-1-16.jpg" width="395" /></a></div>
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GUILT April 1, 2016</div>
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My last post was quite awhile ago, but I have been working steadily on Guilt over the past months. It is very hard work, indeed, as the painting is physically large, and requires a bit of an effort to haul it around my studio. The work itself is also hard, as it requires incredible focus on my part to get everything right. The still life is still sitting in a corner of my studio, gathering dust, and it is an invaluable aid when checking values and colors. There is still a great deal of work to do, but it is finishing work, and so I feel that I am on the down-slope. </div>
<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-10191759188387900532015-12-13T15:53:00.000-05:002015-12-14T18:39:15.985-05:00Guilt 12-13-15<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpQynnez6XbEwX2aQaTknZjQm0uTAAjEsZ_A_fJb5anC1xmV6p1JGQEPIsCIpO5Iy7tfuKQ8-_y5KQULNZEkyWl3cl9SRe2auYSOQ6VphnCD87A-8-7Uf8yWDQ2v49KjymjvpSBRBYHU/s1600/12-13-15.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpQynnez6XbEwX2aQaTknZjQm0uTAAjEsZ_A_fJb5anC1xmV6p1JGQEPIsCIpO5Iy7tfuKQ8-_y5KQULNZEkyWl3cl9SRe2auYSOQ6VphnCD87A-8-7Uf8yWDQ2v49KjymjvpSBRBYHU/s400/12-13-15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The tedious work has begun! It is now just about tweaking and refining, drawing and checking values. Then rechecking values, then searching for the right color in the huge collection of odd tubes I have in my paint drawers, and then reconstructing and improving the drawing as I go. I find that I work for about 3 or 4 hours and can't tell you what I did! It looks about the same as it did this morning. However, there has been much done on the painting since Thanksgiving, and I have to say that I am pleased with the progress. I wish I could work on it more consistently, but life has a way of commanding attention from a myriad of problems. And now Christmas looms with its associated parties and gatherings, all of which require food and some baking here and there. The good news, for me, is that Christmas is a painting day with my dear friend Carole Flagg, and that is always a joyous way to spend 3 hours. No gifts, no big dinners, no cooking, and no singing! YES!!!</div>
Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-26663342284234500222015-11-26T10:55:00.002-05:002015-11-26T10:56:30.480-05:00 Guilt on Thanksgiving 11-26-15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmHYMiVBiF2X7I1KRTG02LbrSBamo5Ks4vYbRpAb0xyremCbS4qzLqiZNdjEJ16Orpn_gVjFvJR0luNsbZDx30rgCCtV5MOotfsag_IlTzs_9LbJoHPwhXHD_4FXdm_eu4MND0Zu7g7c/s1600/11-26-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmHYMiVBiF2X7I1KRTG02LbrSBamo5Ks4vYbRpAb0xyremCbS4qzLqiZNdjEJ16Orpn_gVjFvJR0luNsbZDx30rgCCtV5MOotfsag_IlTzs_9LbJoHPwhXHD_4FXdm_eu4MND0Zu7g7c/s320/11-26-15.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
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I have worked on Guilt on and off for the past month and it is slowly coming along. It is very difficult work, as I get very tired working on this canvas. The subject matter doesn't help much, although I work to divorce myself from the feeling, and concentrate on the painting and technical aspects of looking at where the light falls, and the infinite details in a painting of this scale. I added one small item since I last posted, and it barely shows, but there is a pretty cross in the bookcase, on the bottom shelf, which I have lightly blocked in. I saw this in a sale rack and grabbed it up, as it seemed to resonate with GUILT, although I don't feel guilty about religious things any more, I can tell you tales of guilt that will make you laugh and cry at the same time. Anyway, I wanted to add that piece to the whole mix, but I also wanted it to be very subtle. Anyway, for what it's worth, this painting is coming along much better than I expected! Thankfully, on Thanksgiving!!!!</div>
Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-4293102941110878002015-10-31T18:39:00.000-04:002015-10-31T18:39:03.977-04:00Guilt on 10-31-15 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXI6w6EUBYT6fJHFrcSHCUV6COauDNyY8Isx-8BrXNYgFieezDM1ywVOJx8X-vXijRNXooIQWFiSRNygureiYSvDRoMNZYg8_lmhBXpUs0ZHgxATn6dhgB5DSc_x8_lZEAXQbC2RFSAKE/s1600/10-31-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXI6w6EUBYT6fJHFrcSHCUV6COauDNyY8Isx-8BrXNYgFieezDM1ywVOJx8X-vXijRNXooIQWFiSRNygureiYSvDRoMNZYg8_lmhBXpUs0ZHgxATn6dhgB5DSc_x8_lZEAXQbC2RFSAKE/s400/10-31-15.jpg" width="395" /></a></div>
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You can see that Guilt is coming along nicely. I have worked on it today and yesterday for about 9 or 10 hours total and I must say that I am exhausted and looking forward to a day away from the house tomorrow. It is very tedious work but I am really happy with what I have done so far. The canvas and the "good" paint I am using is such a treat. I generally work on canvas that is store-bought and nice, but not as nice as the elegant Belgium linen double oil primed canvas that I am using now. My usual paint is cheap! It is nice, and the colors are good, and it mixes pretty true, Soho from Jerry's Artarama, but for this painting I am using Winsor Newton, Rembrandt and a few Gamblin colors. There is a huge difference, especially in the drying times, as the Soho has been treated so it dries out very rapidly, and with these paints the drying times are vastly extended. Also, working over the burnt sienna toned ground gives the colors that are laid on top an optical mix that is very exciting, and nearly impossible to capture well in the camera.</div>
<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-13858940520437181892015-10-26T16:12:00.000-04:002015-10-26T16:12:00.907-04:00Guilt (Work in Progress) 10-26-15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMWQXHXkHsCVgp4xD3ivfs1PKZPlG8xs7tZplK3MkC7_uzUqvKVLKtxhl8sq2oSRxfKUJcKZ3bJXa0y7ZdtS112yP8S0y2SG_5l65fQ6hubvAtDgaUP1IzqfqIAs_No7iBsbY6r7q0IQ/s1600/10-26-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMWQXHXkHsCVgp4xD3ivfs1PKZPlG8xs7tZplK3MkC7_uzUqvKVLKtxhl8sq2oSRxfKUJcKZ3bJXa0y7ZdtS112yP8S0y2SG_5l65fQ6hubvAtDgaUP1IzqfqIAs_No7iBsbY6r7q0IQ/s320/10-26-15.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
I am painting it now. I started with the light areas, but have graduated to filling in whatever is calling me next. It still feels very overwhelming! I keep reminding myself to take it one day at a time and one step at a time. I am finding that my small tablet is a huge asset in viewing details close up and it is easy to view the image in sections and segments. I can zoom in on a highlight, or shadow, and see it so much better than I can in viewing it in front of me, or in the printed photograph. The light in my studio seems to be shifting all the time and with the photograph and tablet the lighting is stable.Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-4466366608985296692015-10-17T08:08:00.001-04:002015-10-17T08:08:11.278-04:00The "final" painting of Guilt begins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKnV-TzDEfmJA8USWE3e61_iGPd0jytU3kvplLkEKHVe0t92XnFY3pU-93c8baG5Jo2aAeaANLRK11hPyaR0keRvWiKd8SIbT98-d-gtaRWV5KsZ0JRp6-Um-SLFB3YNGtDCOEkpR-Ig/s1600/guilt+10-17-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKnV-TzDEfmJA8USWE3e61_iGPd0jytU3kvplLkEKHVe0t92XnFY3pU-93c8baG5Jo2aAeaANLRK11hPyaR0keRvWiKd8SIbT98-d-gtaRWV5KsZ0JRp6-Um-SLFB3YNGtDCOEkpR-Ig/s400/guilt+10-17-15.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
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This week I started working on the actual painting, using thicker paint and as close to the actual colors that I see. I started with the drapery which was just scumbled over with white, and now I have put in the actual colors. Then I moved on to adding the darks in the bookcase and the black suitcase. The week was productive, but it is exhausting work, and the concentration level is very high. I find that I don't have the stamina I used to have! Well, yes, that's why I had to quit my job in order to focus on this painting. I must say that I am very pleased with the progress so far and this very pricey high end canvas is a dream to work on. It is Claessen's double oil primed linen! I also try to use higher end paint for these paintings, and the best I can afford is Rembrandt line made by Talens, which is the parent company of the best paint around, Old Holland. So, onward we go, and I hope to get a lot of work done this week. Tomorrow, Sunday, is a day off, so I will have the whole day to work on Guilt.</div>
<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-57131241049760515302015-10-09T08:17:00.003-04:002015-10-09T08:17:38.121-04:00First layer of thin paint applied to Guilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This first layer is very thin paint scumbled over the toned ground which shows through in many places. The lightest areas are painted white so the brighter colors go over white rather than burnt sienna. Those white areas will become pink, magenta, and whatever colors are in that variegated drapery in the center of the painting. I will let it dry for a few days before I start to work on it again next week. </div>
<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-5032609348048281262015-10-06T13:46:00.005-04:002015-10-06T13:49:30.017-04:00Line Work Completed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjRw5Ho_NH2ySzj-5XEjOGz-nOIp3m6AIabKysx1n2Lxfx5rL10Ws90KCZN8hlMrxYGNBTeCnP_HkVu67fqjzM-kXN_5KXvYYq2_0JQAnnx3snPKyMJ5qsurOV7uKUYmZKXUlH8tOFLs/s1600/Image00001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjRw5Ho_NH2ySzj-5XEjOGz-nOIp3m6AIabKysx1n2Lxfx5rL10Ws90KCZN8hlMrxYGNBTeCnP_HkVu67fqjzM-kXN_5KXvYYq2_0JQAnnx3snPKyMJ5qsurOV7uKUYmZKXUlH8tOFLs/s400/Image00001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am kind of cramped into my studio and can't get very good photographs. My camera is mounted on a tripod and I'm clicking the shutter by a wireless remote. I didn't fiddle with the camera as much as I fiddled with the painting, so I'm apologizing for the dark and murky photos here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ySbzqqrd1jtR3j4Qu1Q5TjW5yjqCIz322Nqc5WJOUIZNzmJl5F0g7DvIKdBRzoaO52nZzIFkO-kG2hmfc_bt6NVFZ0b6V4AYX1VVoe-tZoeki0lbF8hQ6bZrraqGQse3QvVKmDjoqUI/s1600/Image00006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ySbzqqrd1jtR3j4Qu1Q5TjW5yjqCIz322Nqc5WJOUIZNzmJl5F0g7DvIKdBRzoaO52nZzIFkO-kG2hmfc_bt6NVFZ0b6V4AYX1VVoe-tZoeki0lbF8hQ6bZrraqGQse3QvVKmDjoqUI/s400/Image00006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I like to draw straight lines with a level. It is so much easier than trying to line up a ruler</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdGMtLs_kpV91ZEw4unEwkJfU1bxqyyAwLaJCrfjHh4S8Up4Ag_x763wPvLzIOMUZoamYMqJdjuPZWqypWG-FWktKBpxPpgAElOskk72u9XadpybvCk5qT5xMlQIGCm7Xgny45sUkGVk/s1600/Image00005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdGMtLs_kpV91ZEw4unEwkJfU1bxqyyAwLaJCrfjHh4S8Up4Ag_x763wPvLzIOMUZoamYMqJdjuPZWqypWG-FWktKBpxPpgAElOskk72u9XadpybvCk5qT5xMlQIGCm7Xgny45sUkGVk/s400/Image00005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have my overlay attached to the canvas at the top with 4 C-clamps and I can pull it over when I need to check something. I am not positioned exactly in the same place as I was when I took my original photographs so looking at the setup is confusing because it is slightly off. I got the bright idea to put the large photo on my tablet and I can use that to see very close up details that I can't figure out by just looking at my big photo that I printed out. The tablet is great because it has that bright light inside and I can go very close up and really see what I'm trying to do. Instead of trying to print out pieces of the original photograph I can hold the small tablet in my hand, or put it on my work table and really understand what I am looking at. I like to get as accurate as possible, especially in this stage.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCacTxdhrtSYDCuZqAuaTb8rNwnzlkoGeNzk0DGKUExlq_vBC6c5hJWqsi4raz-6Y6EAliFkw6LXqlgKSf_VUcXgztK7Xor4MbVPKSbC3W6XYDQWwHz3q_iNjKWe0zxxAeD1aDKLreVRY/s1600/Image00002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCacTxdhrtSYDCuZqAuaTb8rNwnzlkoGeNzk0DGKUExlq_vBC6c5hJWqsi4raz-6Y6EAliFkw6LXqlgKSf_VUcXgztK7Xor4MbVPKSbC3W6XYDQWwHz3q_iNjKWe0zxxAeD1aDKLreVRY/s400/Image00002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Line work is finished and I'm stopping for the day to do some other projects. More will be revealed!</div>
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<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-70664296051977223872015-10-05T16:16:00.001-04:002015-10-05T16:16:52.424-04:00"Guilt" the start<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSIbAWPn2ltNNZ7Gpv5NCLXI2Lwx7bL1IRPy5fTiYr6AgdoqT_6ZFw50A5r24o_ptGMxdTU8kj0CgsDDnZwP-_4DH6Y888m_HguShdPvnxN5Y5vABNRs1Dg32YpenO-f8zXVs60GUpnM/s1600/Transferring+the+image+from+the+overlay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSIbAWPn2ltNNZ7Gpv5NCLXI2Lwx7bL1IRPy5fTiYr6AgdoqT_6ZFw50A5r24o_ptGMxdTU8kj0CgsDDnZwP-_4DH6Y888m_HguShdPvnxN5Y5vABNRs1Dg32YpenO-f8zXVs60GUpnM/s400/Transferring+the+image+from+the+overlay.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The first thing I had to do was prepare an "overlay", which is a clear plastic film that has the image of the still life traced onto it. I did that a few days ago and a photo is posted on September 25th. The photo above shows me transferring that overlay to the canvas using a small piece of transfer paper and a stylus (my silverpoint tool which is a silver rod inserted into a mechanical pencil holder). It is very tedious work and bending over that way was not fun for my troubled back. The painting in the background is one that I just finished called "Fixing Supper".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQzQ44x8DOpeFDBQg8W64Y5a_m_GSt0FHap_w4kb9k7gKOm8J3y44WDLtJF7DAFnegaY5aYyDSb1UjB2riQV9XimrJNF1AKyLrNB_DpB6BUiQ3eN8tgNVgA16aTZyiEdSUANg6nMT3JQ/s1600/transfer+is+ready+to+be+painted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQzQ44x8DOpeFDBQg8W64Y5a_m_GSt0FHap_w4kb9k7gKOm8J3y44WDLtJF7DAFnegaY5aYyDSb1UjB2riQV9XimrJNF1AKyLrNB_DpB6BUiQ3eN8tgNVgA16aTZyiEdSUANg6nMT3JQ/s400/transfer+is+ready+to+be+painted.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have moved the canvas to my easel and I'm getting ready to start to draw over the tracing with dark paint. You can see the still life set up in the background. It was very difficult to position myself in exactly the same spot that I was in when I took the original photo. And Miss Puss has some kind of weird affection for the drapery on the floor and she has pulled it all apart and this morning one of them was totally out of the suitcase and pushed almost back to the wall. So photo reference was totally necessary. In the end trying to see those faint tracing marks on the canvas was a challenge. You can barely see them in the photograph above. I finally decided to use my tablet as a reference and installed the original photo in its Gallery, and I could blow it up in pieces to see what I was doing. It was tedious work and after 5 hours I decided I needed to stop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqMUvtoY7c-UWtSDSiIDC4aa0TUPthU1S7BhGQQr3H2rQ6GZFNEBmzL3YfAuVZNIyFHxDoeq-872wrwt7sBMbzrhlrAMiwZXitcenSx_iukIX11wCz3mJZxgJ5PcLOU7-OPBnApCRFS4/s1600/after+5+hours+of+establishing+the+drawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqMUvtoY7c-UWtSDSiIDC4aa0TUPthU1S7BhGQQr3H2rQ6GZFNEBmzL3YfAuVZNIyFHxDoeq-872wrwt7sBMbzrhlrAMiwZXitcenSx_iukIX11wCz3mJZxgJ5PcLOU7-OPBnApCRFS4/s400/after+5+hours+of+establishing+the+drawing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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You can see my progress in this photograph where I was trying to establish a dark line to work against. I felt that I needed the overlay for reference and used clamps to attach it to the top of the canvas so I could flip it up and down whenever I needed a quick reference for something that didn't transfer or lines that I couldn't see. I'll finish the drawing tomorrow.</div>
<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-39190715370983741662015-10-02T12:52:00.000-04:002015-10-02T12:52:01.500-04:00Bye, Bye Old Easel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WX7GBKwPJgDZZcG8qpOKKwG5VUvxTQwGT6ymcVaOZq2gacvxFxZlYy2x9EmpCLjuG3orIXk6bwqubc7JCoInKE5PuoU2EhAt59ffJeyXcGUZtM4MejLgMyp1H6s64EEzFzqxffs7lzM/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WX7GBKwPJgDZZcG8qpOKKwG5VUvxTQwGT6ymcVaOZq2gacvxFxZlYy2x9EmpCLjuG3orIXk6bwqubc7JCoInKE5PuoU2EhAt59ffJeyXcGUZtM4MejLgMyp1H6s64EEzFzqxffs7lzM/s320/DSC_0019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipC_tumWCzdO-w4_5Y7EUbDxUVvgQ8jw2TsSAs3Hdfd1LUmWWOSdBcZHmos3nQBbiaPCU7M4qo5x1T-1Z7FlPWmBODZx0fzz9FBrFkLt0SuxQlVAxlV8HbNVFQogJvB_sgPKfTWHrmQ_Q/s1600/20151001_090847%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipC_tumWCzdO-w4_5Y7EUbDxUVvgQ8jw2TsSAs3Hdfd1LUmWWOSdBcZHmos3nQBbiaPCU7M4qo5x1T-1Z7FlPWmBODZx0fzz9FBrFkLt0SuxQlVAxlV8HbNVFQogJvB_sgPKfTWHrmQ_Q/s320/20151001_090847%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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this Julian French Easel (with an Italian maker on it) was a prize possession of mine that was purchased in Italy (I think it was in the City of Milan) on a grand tour in 1963. Mom and I had acquired a Mercedes from the factory and we picked it up in Switzerland. You could do that in those days, and get a nice car for much cheaper than buying it in the US especially if you used it for transportation around Europe. The plan was to ship the car back to the US on a freighter that would dock in New York or New Jersey sometime after we arrived home by air. I was on a buying spree all over Europe and I had a fantastic time getting some wonderful items, this easel was one of them. I used it too. All over the US on various trips, and on the boat we lived on as well. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD75tcHcZFXq7Vg8MyS4HhNm9aKZb92ywkh4nJ5sX38otLQRnn-hIhgYkTKpOjPKrBvMQ5jyAKPEbhgUHP6rYgqR9hqKIHp5nsfSXRAkz4FDv4xUNrWkU4IJxJMf7P2ossLVrtqPMZOFc/s1600/GER+by+the+Snake+River1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD75tcHcZFXq7Vg8MyS4HhNm9aKZb92ywkh4nJ5sX38otLQRnn-hIhgYkTKpOjPKrBvMQ5jyAKPEbhgUHP6rYgqR9hqKIHp5nsfSXRAkz4FDv4xUNrWkU4IJxJMf7P2ossLVrtqPMZOFc/s320/GER+by+the+Snake+River1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am sitting beside the Snake River in Wyoming, outside of Jackson Hole, having a nice time with my easel and my painting! We were on one of our many criss-crossings of the US in our RV or car. </div>
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The backstory of that grand trip ended with my mother becoming extremely ill in France as we were heading for the drop off of the car. I knew I had to get her home immediately. I had the easel, lots of other art supplies, and a set of pottery I had bought in Picasso's hometown of Valauris in southern France, in the trunk of the car as well as luggage and other flotsam and jetsam. I drove directly to the airport and went to the Pan Am ticket booth to get Mom on the next plane to New York. The manager of the ticket counter came to help me and the upshot of the whole thing was that he wouldn't let Mom go alone and he said he would drive our car to Le Havre himself and put it on the freighter. Mom was so sick we decided to take him up on the offer and with some misgivings about giving up all my goodies in the truck, perhaps never to be seen again, we boarded the next plane to JFK. We were met at the airport and Mom was driven to the hospital where she was treated for pneumonia and other bronchial problems. About a month later the car arrived with all the goodies intact in the trunk just as I left it. My father sent a commendation to Pan Am and evidently that lovely man was given a promotion.</div>
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The poor old easel started to fail some years ago and it was hard to set up, and the hardware was banged up and didn't work very well. In time I stopped using it, preferring other folding easels that were more flexible and easy to tote around. For the past 3 or 4 years the Julian has been on my outside porch which is open to the weather and it has suffered much in neglect and abandonment. It has taken me 2 years of weekly trash pickups to finally get the easel off to the landfill. It was a very sad day yesterday when the trash men picked up the Julian and put it in the truck, not to be seen again. Boo-hoo. </div>
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<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-34722125432654571572015-09-25T10:08:00.000-04:002015-09-25T10:22:18.352-04:00Here we go....GUILT!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One year ago I quit my job as curator of the Gallery at Carrollwood Cultural Center in order to work on the eleventh painting in the <i><a href="http://gainor.biz/feeling_series.html" target="_blank">Feeling Series</a></i>. I worked steadily on the set up of the various props and furniture that I wanted for the painting and you can see the result below. I have had a few comments, like "I don't see guilt here", and why is there a gun in it" and "what's with the suitcases and handbags", "I don't get it", and "this painting is so different from the others". My answer is that this painting is about my feelings about guilt, presented symbolically. Having worked my way through so much of it during my lifetime; it feels like a chaos of baggage and failures, hurts both given and received, and the myriad layers of perceptions of guilt ranging from my role as a white person in a rarefied society, to my addictive personality, to many decisions I have made in my life that are not appropriate to discuss here!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaM5oRkMifseE634eDcOhXaLbNeBCmCIgBeesUuOsu22EYluBp0tcfhwisE6w0_X_YPeFYXhHYuT4-kAr0yXVstv5Uir27anrek18j-jH2Q8kcsQT5vD7G3kJ03LNp3hZ4Y1Z9hIKu09I/s1600/Guilt+10+x+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaM5oRkMifseE634eDcOhXaLbNeBCmCIgBeesUuOsu22EYluBp0tcfhwisE6w0_X_YPeFYXhHYuT4-kAr0yXVstv5Uir27anrek18j-jH2Q8kcsQT5vD7G3kJ03LNp3hZ4Y1Z9hIKu09I/s400/Guilt+10+x+10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is a photograph of Guilt as it is set up in my studio. Much of my time over the past year has been trying to figure out how best to manage the workflow in my studio, with two Sundays a month given over to <a href="http://www.paintingforfun.info/" target="_blank">Painting For Fun</a>, where I have as many as 9 people in the studio wandering around, and other students and projects that require a reorganization of the space. Many of these paintings reuse props that appear in other paintings and one prop that I wanted to use was the buffet table that was my mother's that I used in <i><a href="http://gainor.biz/feeling_series_fear.html" target="_blank">Fear</a> </i>and <i><a href="http://gainor.biz/feeling_series_shame.html" target="_blank">Shame</a>. </i></div>
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And I also knew from the start that this painting would be 48 x 48 and that alone creates a space management problem. I will have to stow the painting in my bedroom or office when I am not working on it. I wanted to use the best canvas I could afford which was Claessen's Belgium Linen, double oil primed. It is glorious to look at and feel! But very difficult to stretch and so I had a test canvas that looked horrible and it was not suitable at all. So I asked P.J. Draper at AOE Artworks, in Temple Terrace, if she could stretch it for me. She agreed to do it, and I was thrilled at what she was able to do, after much hand wringing and difficulties for her as well. The canvas was finished in early August, and I must admit that I have felt some Guilt, on and off, as it sat in the closet of my office, while I got ready to dive into the painting phase of the painting, which was very scary. </div>
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After quite a lot of back and forth in my mind, I finally decided that this painting would be worked on a toned ground. Classical painters call this Imprimatura. The definition, thanks to Wikipedia, is:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Imprimatura</u></b> is a term used in painting, meaning an initial stain of color painted on a ground. It provides a painter with a transparent, toned ground, which will allow light falling onto the painting to reflect through the paint layers. </span></div>
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I learned to do this technique in a series of workshops with Aaron Shikler in the 1990s in Connecticut. How fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to be able to study with him at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts in Old Lyme, Connecticut. My other training was with Robert Brackman who worked the Impressionist style on a white canvas. The toned ground requires some special techniques that I do not normally employ, and the last painting I did in this manner was in 2001 when I finished <i>Fear, </i>just before I moved to Florida. So that is why I said it was very scary to cover that pristine white canvas with Burnt Sienna and Rectified Turpentine, which I am allergic to!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See what I mean? All that pristine white is about to be covered with a slop of burnt sienna and turps. Oh my!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqQctDyxEeRuw_iZtLSPGgAhlGkEFRiL93MAOyfyOh26EbFSoYj90ebacmHop7hYq443ufbjiR6cgDFJUbuTwxLmebfBqxnm998DOjP3_d43Gyz5PYdRMw2TElwAfjs9iAnVoZ-g3MYE/s1600/Image00004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqQctDyxEeRuw_iZtLSPGgAhlGkEFRiL93MAOyfyOh26EbFSoYj90ebacmHop7hYq443ufbjiR6cgDFJUbuTwxLmebfBqxnm998DOjP3_d43Gyz5PYdRMw2TElwAfjs9iAnVoZ-g3MYE/s320/Image00004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half done</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvcXRuczb-chvvsh_2-91ckaQNnZ_vqKaEeX8XccnIxI_EJHqsKOkVu9ofwIm4f0rKEHCFBMp4KhtHuyApRISVf4mG1qLyy1LSfKqsIMUZGDjcwBA8IAz1rPWNI0Qat1X1ZTROl80N9E/s1600/Image00005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvcXRuczb-chvvsh_2-91ckaQNnZ_vqKaEeX8XccnIxI_EJHqsKOkVu9ofwIm4f0rKEHCFBMp4KhtHuyApRISVf4mG1qLyy1LSfKqsIMUZGDjcwBA8IAz1rPWNI0Qat1X1ZTROl80N9E/s320/Image00005.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished!!!<br />
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I also use a process I may have conceived (well I am SURE other artists have done something similar) that I call an overlay. Basically this amounts to a huge time saver when working on a portrait or complex painting that requires hours and hours of tedious drawing. My life is no longer one of leisure to fiddle for hours to get perspective just right and proportion figured out, so the overlay becomes an essential ingredient of my work these days. I do know how to draw! I teach it, for heaven's sake, but I am not so good to hit it correctly on the first, or even 10th try, so the overlay cuts time and makes my work more accurate. It requires a photograph that is blown up to be the same size as the canvas, in this case 48 x 48. I print the photo using Publisher which will tile the print out, and I had 15 images to paste together to make one big photo! Clear .5 mil overlay film is then put over the enlarged photo and traced with a felt tip pen. The overlay is then put over the toned canvas and transferred. When the painting is underway the progress can be checked for mistakes by putting the overlay over the painting to check for drawing errors. It is just so nifty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTsJuDWi4VG_UNlS7x3yxUu5mIZfmNiExFgQahDKT4BAVnmvUGPhvDXar_-mdhE47Oyuor0lhq9SrgGYmtjlyvMQLlH4p5PeGsYwZtLbjNx3VoZ4WSUZTBPw9dhGIV2mVy5KBcfKVwTY/s1600/Image00001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTsJuDWi4VG_UNlS7x3yxUu5mIZfmNiExFgQahDKT4BAVnmvUGPhvDXar_-mdhE47Oyuor0lhq9SrgGYmtjlyvMQLlH4p5PeGsYwZtLbjNx3VoZ4WSUZTBPw9dhGIV2mVy5KBcfKVwTY/s320/Image00001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am holding a 48 x 48 foam board that contains my photograph of Guilt over which there is a clear plastic film that I call an overlay. I am tracing with an Identipen those little details in the lace cloth. Yeah, I know...a little obsessive and complusive, for sure. But it surely saves a lot of time in the end and helps the visual confusion when painting because it is so hard to make your brain go back and forth from canvas to the still life set up, over and over until you are crazy.<br />
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As work progresses I plan to add entries here on my blog as I did with <i>Awe</i>. It was a nice record to have and I must admit that I found myself referring back to it several times. So, stay tuned! More is about to come.<br />
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As an aside, I realize it has been months since I last posted work on my blog. I have quite a few paintings that I have completed during the summer and soon I will have them posted on my blog. I have put most of them on my website, but they are scattered over several places and it is more convenient to view them here. I will be posting them soon.<br />
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Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797276103736286682.post-85411679771493523902015-06-09T16:07:00.001-04:002015-06-09T16:07:20.168-04:00Painting For Fun UpdateI have been very busy in the past few months. Painting For Fun is/was a great deal of fun, but also a huge amount of work for me, and I'm learning as I go along. I am basically offering two painting sessions a month with about 8 people in each one, which requires me to prepare 16 projects per month! Wow!! I finally figured out how to print on the lightweight canvas in pads made by Fredrix and that has saved me a huge amount of time. However, my printer is very temperamental and the canvas folds over and jams the printer time and again. I am waiting for an order of canvas that is designed for inkjet printing. We shall see if that helps.<br />
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I have a website with all the current projects listed with samples of them so that people can check it out in advance. <a href="http://www.paintingforfun.info/">www.paintingforfun.info</a>. There are all sorts of goodies there and more are coming soon...Flowers, Angels, Geometric Designs, Scenic America, Lighthouses, and so on.<br />
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Most of my friends are novice painters and require fairly simple images to paint, but a few of them are more advanced and the following project is one that I made for them. It is Spiral Galaxy M74 as seen by the Hubble Telescope and painted by me. I tried it twice and the first attempt is safely in the local landfill. It was horrible, as I used black canvas and that was so difficult and I couldn't find any reference points in the photograph of the Galaxy to focus on. In the end I turned the photo into a greyscale image and printed it on the canvas and painted on top of it. Even so, it was difficult for me as I kept losing my way, which I suppose is the whole point of being lost in space.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3TgXMIaw_A31miIqEx5jl28R75Q6QQYInq1TFjgRITtquuwof4HAaQxB3HN_0GkW8zU1xzodhJJxR_2lhsSCK7Zk39ebMzJx1KIp3YHL2VNsDfTnmXWmuvQ9x1qko4LBPOKxJ1zIbI0/s1600/finished+painting+%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3TgXMIaw_A31miIqEx5jl28R75Q6QQYInq1TFjgRITtquuwof4HAaQxB3HN_0GkW8zU1xzodhJJxR_2lhsSCK7Zk39ebMzJx1KIp3YHL2VNsDfTnmXWmuvQ9x1qko4LBPOKxJ1zIbI0/s320/finished+painting+%25231.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is painted in acrylics with various glitter paint and glow-in-the dark glitter added here and there. I sprinkled the glitter on small glue dots to give it some interesting sparkle. Most of the white points were simply dots of white paint.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZul4vQvaSoLAK95w9eblfgTO47z1rCouHPsOjWTdZbPjZkwYCWzjnStYSsaUT2k_MxrCTwSE4vEUpKh5zrRtmrCykZQoxOVSSJTambRKuZdR4dO0zS8Rf3W88k9PBBvEM94YhGq8pzw/s1600/finished+painting+with+glow+in+the+dark+paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZul4vQvaSoLAK95w9eblfgTO47z1rCouHPsOjWTdZbPjZkwYCWzjnStYSsaUT2k_MxrCTwSE4vEUpKh5zrRtmrCykZQoxOVSSJTambRKuZdR4dO0zS8Rf3W88k9PBBvEM94YhGq8pzw/s320/finished+painting+with+glow+in+the+dark+paint.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is an image I shot with a huge ISO in my bathroom with the camera hand held which is why it is somewhat out of focus, but you can see the glow-in-the dark paint showing up in the middle of the spiral.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoITrHoUdR-2MCZXG3pbeMg4CNN3Cq4tvM0kIZL-QF2d6MAKZcE0MmHoSvnzLNlVY4JvnxASi19wSr4GF4U1_6A7NxXL3S4fO0A67wmqf7LDLTxu4LSyrw6rePUaNus_QWUFO_pJBuUI/s1600/golden+spiral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoITrHoUdR-2MCZXG3pbeMg4CNN3Cq4tvM0kIZL-QF2d6MAKZcE0MmHoSvnzLNlVY4JvnxASi19wSr4GF4U1_6A7NxXL3S4fO0A67wmqf7LDLTxu4LSyrw6rePUaNus_QWUFO_pJBuUI/s320/golden+spiral.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And for all you folks who love mathematics here is the diagram of the Golden Spiral superimposed on top of the Galaxy. Is it any surprise that it is correct mathematically? I am using PhiMatrix, a nifty program that allows you to figure out all kinds of things related to the Golden Mean. If you are so inclined you can find it by doing a Google search. </div>
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<br />Gainorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09329346095437429285noreply@blogger.com0