Sunday, September 28, 2008

revisiting new mexico

(approx 2x4)

The in-progress scene below is the view from the back of Mabel Dodge Luhan's house in Taos, looking into a Native reservation. I just loved how the orange bank of tree was framed by purple mountains and green trees.
In a way, I'd almost like to consider this "done"; I'm pleased with some things about it and started to question what "doneness" is, anyway.

(7.5x11)

Robert Pinsky from "Samurai Song"

When I had no eyes I listened.
When I had no ears I thought.
When I had no thought I waited.
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6 comments:

Ruth said...

Gorgeous images, and thoughts by you and Pinsky. Yum.

Again, yum.

Cathy Gatland said...

I think doneness is whatever the artist wants it to be. I love the suggestions of trees, the hint at mountains and the questioning pencil marks around that zingy orange shape - somehow so much more interesting than dotting the i's and crossing the t's - if you know what I mean!
Top right is just lovely too - the colours!... and how the river sweeps around to the foreground.

cathyswatercolors said...

Sometimes done is too done. To tight,lacking feeling and flow.It takes a brave heart to be done.

I love the subject matter, New Mexico is where my mom grew up.I fell in love with it when I visited there. Your paintings remind me of the river we followed to get the adobe home where she spent her childhood . Her family,original homesteaders, enjoyed a rich history there.

Vivienne said...

Lovely work, gorgeous Georgia O'K colours. Love the orange against the violet .. oh wow.Gosh you work hard.. no wonder you are so good at this!

laura said...

I had to laugh, admittedly somewhat ruefully, at your suggestion, Vivienne, that I work hard: for me, painting is the avoidance of work!

Cathy G.--Hi. I had been loooking at paintings by Richard Diebenkorn when I plunged into this ... and maybe that's why I stopped; I've always wanted to keep painting and repainting a scene, hopefully distilling as I went; perhaps ending if I should be so lucky with something Diebenkornish? ;-)

This poetry anthology I'm working on is really full of great poems: sensual, provocative, witty and catty!

A brave heart and a fear of messing up, Cathy! Some paintings seem to go through an uglyt stage (or two) and others to be appealing at various stages--in this one, for me, it's probably just the colors ... I don't want to tamper with them!
I love NM too--it was completely unlike anyplace I'd ever been. I hope to go back.

Randall David Tipton said...

I`d sure say it`s done, what a beauty! Lock it away before you 'fix' it. Oh, the stuff I`ve ruined.