This is one of the largest oil paintings I’ve tried (about 14″ x 36″). I left it at layer two many months ago, and now I plan to revisit the work and continue with it. The edges of the path need to become more ragged and the trees more varied in color and value. The first layer was a red earth, which you can see poking through in various places. At the moment it’s wrapped in brown paper in the back of my car, ready for the trip to my “studio” office at UVM. It is a painting of the bike path area behind Butler Farms. Tad helped me with it a lot.

Today three ads went in several papers for a Spring offering of “Drawing for the Terrified” (South Burlington, Williston, and Shelburne). Now to see if the $ spent for these was worth it. I know that it will be a go up in North Hero as I have a list of about 14 students there.

Finished about half of the framing for the ArtPath Show in February.   The only ones left are the larger images which I’ll pick up in a few hours from the printers.    My son Matt, VP at Subatomic Digital, is also printing up some large ones.  The intensity of the images isn’t quite what it is on a computer monitor, but they still are bright and crisp.  Did the above image last night.  The title seemed to fit. The larger frames I’ll get from American Frame online.   Now must shovel the driveway.   Then to the gym.  Trying to keep the end at bay!  Like mom at 93, who keeps on trucking.  She regained much of her vision last week after not seeing for many years.  A simple procedure as well.  Now she’ll see me for the first time since I was much  younger.  That’ll be a shock!

This is a small (ca. 9 x 12) oil painting of an abandoned farm right off Hinesburg road, about a half mile south of the house.  It was late in September, or at least the color scheme leads in that direction.   This is a painting done only with red, blue and yellow.   All the other colors were mixed from those three, which integrates it a bit.  Unfortunately I kept going with it, and the final result is in the bone pile.   But I have this reminder.

It looks a lot warmer here than around Vermont!!

How My Digital Images are Created

Each image starts from a three dimensional representation of a different molecule. The 3D molecular structure is created with CS Chem3D Pro molecular modeling and analysis software from the CambridgeSoft Corporation. After completion of molecular mechanics energy minimization of the molecule or assembly of molecules, a two dimensional view is transferred to Adobe PhotoShop CS2. Image shape and color are then manipulated in a sequence of 30 to 50 transformations. The last image in each sequence is what you see exhibited on posts in this website. The final image often appears to have no visual relationship to the starting molecule or assembly. It’s there, but sometimes embedded so deeply it can’t be seen.

The color, light and shape manipulation I do from one transformation to another on the path to the final image are influenced by what I see happening along the way. I’m composing during this process, and often classical rules of compostion are followed.

A very simple and illustrative, developmental series is shown above. It is purposefully brief, having only seven steps. Because of this, individual elements can be seen from beginning to end. As noted above, most of the images I’ve been posting are the result of from 30 to 50 steps. In such extensive transformations, the original elements are often not seen in the final image.

In the illustration above, the first image is a collection of six water molecules in various orientations. The red spheres are oxygen, the blue spheres are hydrogen and the pink spheres are non bonding electrons. The black portions are visible bonds. Images two through seven are simply the result of adding and adjusting background color as well as imposing polar coordinate, sine wave and other mathematical distortions on the molecules themselves. In this simple series, the final image shows all the original elements, bonds and electrons, but their form is dramatically altered.

Time to start writing a short paragraph or two explaining the detailed origins of these images.  That’s my task for today (in addition to laundry, holiday shopping in the madhouse downtown, and a few hours at the gym.)    Maybe I’ll post again later today.

Painted this fellow a few years ago.   A very happy camper at the time.  He had on a baseball cap which I removed in the composing process.  He was holding a very large chocolate chip cookie which he’d partially finished which is why he was smiling.  I’ve always liked the painting, though the absence of hair always raises lots of questions.

Last night was the culmination of both classes. We ended with a great visit from Bert Dodson, the author of Keys to Drawing and other wonderful books. The pizza came a bit late, but everyone was in good spirits. Hannah consented to have her portrait drawn and what you see above was a very quick 15 minute sketch. Bert doesn’t hesitate to take on these kinds of drawing challenges. He then had the class do some very creative exercises in imaginative drawing and transforming drawings from one version to another. A very creative fellow. Afterwards Bert and I went to dinner at the India House where we solved (or at least made the attempt) all the problems in the Middle East, and still emerged friends.

The watery post below emerged as well this morning. It’s how I’m feeling at the end of the semester. I love swimming in the work (most of the time it doesn’t feel like work at all) but it’s a relief to be done after being submerged in all those portfolio drawings and papers for the past 7 days. I left comments around the edges of many of drawings, but you’ll have to look hard through your portfolio to find them. I made them small so I wouldn’t ruin the drawings. Most are on the tear out hinge.  This a.m. I’m off to the office/studio to enter grades electronically (A first for UVM.)

Thanks to everyone for your hard work and enthusiasm this semester. Best wishes to you all on your continuing journey at UVM. Do well on your final exams and have a great break. Stop by any time you wish to chat. I’m in 531 Cook (but call first to make sure I’m there – 522 9978).

Bird

It was passed from one bird to another,
the whole gift of the day.
The day went from flute to flute,
went dressed in vegetation,
in flights which opened a tunnel
through the wind would pass
to where birds were breaking open
the dense blue air -
and there, night came in.

When I returned from so many journeys,
I stayed suspended and green
between sun and geography -
I saw how wings worked,
how perfumes are transmitted
by feathery telegraph,
and from above I saw the path,
the springs and the roof tiles,
the fishermen at their trades,
the trousers of the foam;
I saw it all from my green sky.
I had no more alphabet
than the swallows in their courses,
the tiny, shining water
of the small bird on fire
which dances out of the pollen.

Pablo Neruda