Parkway Garden

This diptych is a large oil on paper called, “Parkway Garden.”  It was done during the fall in plein air during several outdoor painting sessions in my front yard.  Then I took the panels into my studio and finished the painting, looking down on the garden.  That was done in my old studio which had a nice bay of windows that overlooked the gardens and street.  It was a square-shaped studio which I don't think is so good for creative flow. Now my studio is very rectangular and more in the middle of the house, upstairs and still has lots of windows that provide beautiful natural light.  It is under construction, which feels weird.  I like the consistency of having my studio relatively unchanged and everything in the same spot.  But that is the way I’ve worked for years and it is good to change things up.  I also think the rectangular shape helps the work flow better and there is much more room to expand my vision. Now, the studio has been completely dismantled so the ceiling could be refinished.  Previous to the construction, the ceiling would occasionally leak when it rained and it constantly flaked off paint and plaster into my paintings and drawings.  So basically everything has been packed up and removed from the walls, placed either under plastic or in another room while the ceiling is being completely redone.  I can’t wait until it is finished but as we all know construction projects often take much longer than planned.  Meanwhile, I am working on a makeshift table in the old studio, filled with paints, stamps, brushes, papers and so forth.  I find there is precious little time to paint at this time of the year but will try to squeeze in some time over the weekend to finish my latest mandala.  That particular mandala has surprised me because it has more dimension and depth than I planned, which is a pleasant surprise. Meanwhile, I am doing some planning for how I want to re-establish and set up the actual studio, as I maintain this virtual studio.  I wanted to post this particular painting because it was done at a time when nature was in a state of flux.  “Parkway Garden” is in the collection of a private collector in Chicago.  The art consultancy firm I work with, Murphy Rabb, placed it actually in the late fall, shortly after it was completed.