WIP: Each Side Up

 

As the title says: This painting can be turned upside down as well. May the light reach every house and beyond. More rays and more houses should be coming soon. Size: approx. letter format, gouache.

Almost feeling normal, just a little weak and having to keep a low fat diet.

Creating my hues

 I like to blend larger quantities of my favourite paints. This is gouache. I like them to be different from the shades that come directly from the tube.


Do you find it decadent to use antique Japanese sake bowls for my paints? I believe they inspire me. 

Seen in the City

 There is this park right in the center of Hamburg City which is part of a green belt.

We sat in the sun, saw a greenfinch and a dragonfly from the near lake, resting in the fresh green of  a larch.

 The tulips are almost gone; some still reside in the shadow. A few steps away from the park, there is a street with small shops, just around the corner from where I spent a part of my childhood.

I saw this Indian rally -- was it overdyed, I wonder? -- and the iron fish on a shop, preserved by the shop owners which makes me very happy because I remember them from food purchases in my childhood.
I know this is all so off-topic. But creating will continue! It even does now, and this is wonderful, because it makes me feel alive. A small painting in progress will be shown later.

  

Near our home

 

This is the same place -- looking opposite direction -- in 1974. The Architects have maintained the shape of a racing ground. The central area remained as a large lawn, lakes and shrubs.

Today, we watched four geese families taking their kids out, each with at least 6 of them. They are ever so watchful and all the time ready to defend their goslings.

Happy Easter to you all!

I wish you a wonderful time with your families and friends, wherever you are, whether you celebrate or not, happiness and good health.
I'm so glad to see you and to correspond with you after a week offline! The experience of a crisis can make you sort priorities anew. Although there was no life danger (yet), I feel a strong gratitude to be integrated into social systems and mutual dependence. And for having an obligatory health insurance, haha.

First Walk after my return into Life

Plans

Birthday roses -- thank you, J!

'Yes, make a plan and think you're great; then make another plan. Both won't work.' (Bert Brecht)

I was offline for quite some time for personal reasons, I'm not posting them here, but will inform my friends individually.

A New Thrill

This work of art is named "When I grow up I want to be Mark Rothko", or, in short: The Markobile. Pronounced like an Italian/Spanish word. A Vassilobile is being planned, possibly also a Pietobile, a Paulobile and a Kasimobile. In most cases, I don't make real what I announce; in case I don't, I'll sell the names to some mobile producer. The first one to build these things was  Alexander Calder, who also invented the name (pronounced mo-bee-lay). This one is beautiful and a lot more complex than mine.
I used to do such things as a teenager. Later, I never knew how to be patient enough to balance that out. And I did not feel able to manage fumbling with small things. But quilting has given back some of my old skills. It is funny -- now that I am 62 today, I feel like going back into former stages of my life.
And this is a resting unfinished quilt.

Connected

The parts are connected. I wasn't sure, because there was a different height between the parts. This method is quite flexible and forgives all kinds of tricks.

It is only two steps from New Mexican pottery to Japanese calligraphy -- what does that mean? I feel that all art is connected in a secret way, so I broke down the walls that usually keep continents apart, even in museums.

Emergency sewing

 Joining the strips is a game of luck. I can imagine more precise work. Quilters with systematic methods would throw up their hands in horror, I guess. Well, if a strip happens to be longer than planned -- as the one left  vertical --, I just don't have the heart to cut the excess, but rather try to add an adequate piece.

 Jude inspired me with tiny windows of fabric in this posting. They look so neat and tidy! Maybe I'll try to apply this method.
It is a challenge to do something you haven't mastered yet. I can do easier things, but I so love to "paint" with fabrics. I just read a word on planning: "Making plans replaces coincidence with error."

 Another little mosaic of scraps.

A Sunday walk I don't have to comment much

 

A suburban park, not far from our home.

Sunshine and joy on a roof

 A blue sky and cold wind. It was nice to sit in the sun, but in the shadow, my nose got cold at once. We had our winter tyres exchanged today. Crows were enjoying the sun under a label saying "for birds" -- at least, this is what they believe the golden chap is for.

 Just a little glimpse of the sunshine and shadow play.

 I don't have a design wall, but today I decided to occupy this window between corridor and living room for my paintings.
The one below is about wind and sun power dominating over nukes, at least this is what I hope will happen. It is color pencil and gouache on black paper.

And also this one is about windpower. I love it, but not the machines; I think they are an insult to the eye. They should be designed like this, I believe.

Japan is in the news every day.

Japanese calligraphy on fabric

"A walk in town"

One of my fabric treasures is this print by Rayna Gillman. I was very happy to get this. It will be part of my museum quilt. And I started a painting again, using a piece of cardboard from a packing. A shirt or what. Very plain brown paper, stiff enough to paint on it. I'm eager to get such material, it is a lot more inspiring than clean white sheets. Of course, I will leave parts of the surface uncovered. It is simple, it is primitive. I hope it will influence my style.