Exhibiting a pot-pourri of my works... hoping that the audience would not focus too much on the "pourri" side!

A musical concert was my 2nd opportunity this year to introduce my works to a local public...

As usual, I enjoyed direct interactions with the people who came by to get a closer look... and I thank them for their their interest in my art (many business card were picked up).

Listening to Sergiu Popa's distinctive East European sound was a real treat. The whole evening amounted to an extraordinary fusion of the semi classical (beautiful violin accompaniment by his wife) and the folkloric (Sergiu's virtuoso style accordion playing) interspersed with jazz like improvisations from Sergiu and two other members of the group (impressive piano player from Mozambique, young skillful percussionist). While the music was playing, I couldn't help imagining in my mind the impact that it would have on my brush work on canvas... luckily for me, before the end of the evening, the muse (my wife) had already reserved a copy of the CD (there were only 4 available for the whole audience!)...

Lost Garfield for a day... finally, a sigh of relief!

Sunday, our cat executed a disappearing act that would have made Houdini proud. After a day's search inside and outside the house, there were only 2 conclusions to be drawn: abduction by an extraterrestrial being or the cat took a slant on the wild side. Our cat never went outside alone, so we were a bit worried to say the least....

Our last desperate move was to rattle a bag of treats on the veranda after sunset. Luckily, this produced 2 beaming eyes and a distinctive "meow"... Gushing out with a flash light, I realized quickly that I would not be able to capture our elusive cat easily in the wide opened space. Capitalizing on its tendency to smell any extended finger, I managed to grab one of its front leg like a snapping turtle... proving once again that old age and treachery can overcome agility and speed!

Meanwhile, I'm getting ready for my second mini exhibition in the context of a concert tonight...

Yakshi statue- final step... outside my comfort zone again!

While struggling with this one, I kinda forgot to leave brush marks...

... well there's always the next time around! This is an attempt to have a few "more commercial" paintings to offer at my upcoming concert exhibition, October 19th. I'd like to start a new series on Yoga in November, so I am frantically trying to get used to the new color palette using these non threatening experimental paintings as a departure point. I replaced crimson by a more permanent violet and ultramarine by a powerful turquoise. Keeping azo gold as a yellow, I see versatility with this limited palette that I did not have with my previous one (color range, color strength). The two new colors are extremely powerful and as such are tough to control (a bit like phtalo blue that can easily overpower other colors in mixes)...

Note to self: "My alla prima approach so far is a collection of tentative brush strokes almost like a trial and error kind of approach. I will be satisfied only when each brush mark is decisive!"

Sub-note to self: "I realized that when it comes to the painting knife, I want to be a "scraper" and not a "butterer". When it comes to the brush... I want to leave a mark!"

Yakshi statue step III... a painful encounter with a new color palette... but getting there!

This stage took a few quick passes instead of a unique one... I had some technical difficulties controlling my new staining colors to achieve the desired earth tone I was after...

I did not see a big difference with the soft gel on a large surface like this one... so my epiphany was short-lived! I need to put this one to rest for a day... before going for refinements here and there (e.g., I want the face to be rounder, the right arm to be larger, blue nuances in the violet, real reflected light, a more sweeping hip curve, etc...). I tipped the scale towards realism... so I need to follow suit!

Note to self: "At least, I seem to have made some inroads in rapidly building textures..."

Yakshi statue step II... arts and crafts but not painting!

As I did for the last runner, I built textures at the underpainting level using impasto gel mixed with paint and spreading it with a palette knife "as if it were not ointment"...

My intent is to build further textures with the brush as I'm proceeding with my color scheme... ideally with one extra coat only "alla prima" style. I'll soon find out if I'm all talk... and nothing else!

Note to self: "I sure mastered imprecision in a hurry... I'd like to spring back a little... a saving grace: some of that texture will shrink! Next time around, I will also use a bad brush to counterbalance the knife marks and add variety right from the get go... also, I still need to control the palette knife's gas pedal!"

Sub-note to self: "I'm usually afraid to go with a palette knife over an underpainting done with a brush... now I'm afraid to go over this underpainting done with a palette knife... with the brush! I guess, I kinda like the textures as is... suggesting that the next time around, in this style, I should go with one thick coat with final colors after the thin underpainting... period!

Who am I? Well, I'm the Curator who curates... at least for a day!

I'm not doing much painting these days (mostly clerical stuff post exhibition). Some people have shown an interest in my previous "women's eyes" series....

Looks like I'm curating for myself for a day!

Note: Since I met an artist-curator, I can't help but think about a Jacques Clouseau statement (delivered with a heavy French accent by comedian Steve Martin playing that character in a more recent movie of the Pink Panther series ): "So, you're the trainer who trains", in response to a trainer who had just told him that, as a trainer, he trained people...

Update: One of the paintings sold with potentially one more to go for this particular home event (two potential buyers were invited)...

Idling between series... and thinking about Yakshi statues from India...

Mentally getting ready for a new series on Yoga (I will photograph and draw a Yoga instructor next week), I've decided to kill time by painting one of those Indian statues depicting courtesan women/goddesses, a so-called Yakshi. This is an opportunity to practice textures. Here is step one starting off with a prudent reddish first coat with no prior drawing (this is a 20 X 30 canvas)... it's a good thing I have a portable mirror!

Some of those statues make the Kama Sutra look pretty tame... and even modern India is embarrassed! I will make a special effort to spare my audience the "graphic" details! As for me, they are merely irresistible female Buddhas...

Note: This is based on a statue in my studio..."