"La Buena Vida" Linda Carter Holman

I mentioned "La Buena Vida" last June-

as a new series I had started to work on.

But I don't think I ever mentioned that

Wilde Meyer Gallery in Scottsdale--

Marshall Way and Main Street

both have "La Buena Vida" rooms.

I love the color of red they chose to paint the walls.
When I saw this big still life called "Delicious Moments"

(see below) on the wall- I wanted to take it home

and make my own "La Buena Vida" room.
I really had planned to paint a section here in my new studio,
but it hasn't happened,
as usual I have more things than I do space.

Wilde Meyer in Tucson also has a
"La Buena Vida" room.
The rooms all feature my paintings and prints
as well as all sorts of interesting things
that Betty( Wilde) has selected--
When ever we visit I love to see what's new.
And almost always find something I need.

Zen Poems of Ryokan

The Zen Poems of Ryokan translated by John Stevens

are my favorites right now--

From Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf

A Visit to Mr. Fuji's Villa

It's several miles outside the town

And I walk there together with the woodsman

Along a meandering footpath through rows of verdant pines.

In the valley around us, sweet-smelling wild

plum blossoms.

Every time I visit, I gain something new,

And there I truly feel at ease.

The fish in his pond are big as dragons,

And the surrounding forest is still the day long.

The inside of his home is full of treasures:

Volumes of books scattered about!

Inspired, I loosen my robe, browse through the books,

And then compose my own verse.

At twilight I walk along the eastern corridor

Where I'm greeted again by a little flock of spring birds.

Spirit of the Southwest

" In Spirit" 36" by 36" came following

"And Now"

Together here--
And then came "Poppy"

And now I'm working on "Setting the Table".

Filled with color, today--but still in that state

of telling me the story.

More later.

Painting--A work in Progress

As an experiment you'll see here three steps

in the evolution of the painting called "And Now."

It was a good lesson for me to observe the changes that happen.

Someone asked me once--How do you know when a painting is finished?

The reply--When the only option I have is to start over.

There is always some little spot you can be grateful for.

Some part that works.

(But then--It might not work tomorrow like the orange sky here.)

Painting is for me like a mathematical equation.

It's a matter of adding and letting go.

At the beginning there is the idea--the shape.

When it's roughed out-

on to the coloring.

That's another balancing act.

And all along the journey new ideas--ways of seeing--

appear.

So the challenge then is letting go of something I liked yesterday

for something else that seems better today.

The question becomes--

does this face(for instance) that I really like. I think I did a good job on it.

I'm afraid I won't be able to ever do another one as good.....

The question is--

does the face work here. In this painting. At this time.

It is difficult to go against those fears,

but it is just another opportunity to let go.

One challenge after another.

I guess, you could consider working on a painting like

working on a chapter of your life.

It ends up one way,

but looking back as I did through the photos along the way--

there were a variety of directions the painting could have taken.

And yet something at each step

determined the direction.

At the end when I think that I've done all I can do,

The painting moves to the side--

And another canvas steps forward.

Paul Davis

Our friend and fellow artist Paul Davis passed away--

just a few days ago.

Paul was born in the same town

that Greg and I were-Cushing, Oklahoma.

However his family moved from Cushing before Greg and I arrived there--

so we never met.

Paul and I even attended the same college.

He was a few years older and had already moved on before I arrived.

It wasn't till the mid 90's that we at last met Paul

and his wife Donna.

Greg represented Paul's paintings for quite a few years in Scottsdale,

During that time we were able to collect several of his landscapes--

Like the small one here in the dinning room.

His use of color really gives you

the feeling of the Southwest.

In the mid to late 90's Paul and I shared an upstairs studio.

I enjoyed those days.

We talked now and then

but mostly we painted.

I remember more than once looking over at the painting

he was working on--

and thinking to myself --What A great color!

It was inspiring.

To see a color and how he had used it with other colors---

in away I had not imagined.

One day we were talking about technique or something or other

and he said,

"Well you know it's all an illusion."

This is one of Paul's newer paintings.

I found it on the http://www.wildemeyer.com/

Carter Holman late 90's

I came across this image today called "Angel."

I thought--interesting shape--the white.
The colors are clean--simple solid composition....

Funny how what was once the result of an inspiration
can become the source of an inspiration.
Like being turned inside out.