The mighty mongoose and its brush with extinction

By Miika Silfverberg (MiikaS) from Vantaa, Finland (Flickr

Because I felt I didn't have enough brushes, this little guy's life hung in the balance. In my search to refresh my well worn collection of synthetic mongoose brushes (Monarch) (Princeton 6600).  It occurred to me that if I liked the synthetics so much, maybe the real thing would be even better. Natural, organic, traditional, like the old masters used in their ateliers, probably made in an ancient European workshop by a one of the last few craftspeople who know how to roll the hairs precisely into the ferrule. I looked them up and was surprised that they weren't much more expensive than synthetics, now losing their appeal. After all, synthetic just a fancy name for plastic–-artificial, factory made, so practical.

But then a thought burrowed into my conscience like a mongoose chasing a cobra. "How do you think they get the mongoose hair from the mongoose into your precious brushes?" So I did what anyone would do, I googled it. And found they were endangered, cruelly dispatched, and more in need of their fur than I was.

So, little mongoose, run free
it's synthetic mongoose for me,
Chase the cobra and the weasel,

I don't need the guilt when I stand at my easel.

Filling free time

A.I.R. exhibit at Badlands NP Visitors Center. "The White Place", center

I picked up my truck last week after its rear fender surgery and it looks great. Body shops always do this psychological trick of shining the whole vehicle up real pretty. I imagine my truck was pretty nervous when they approached it with this strange substance called "wax", but I'm sure it soon relaxed and enjoyed the spa treatment. Now it's acting all frisky and a bit vain as it looks down it's hood at all the dusty cars on the road.

I also started my Physical Therapy to get me all shined up after my knee scope. So far so good. So mobility is slowly returning, not that I haven't enjoyed being housebound for a few weeks. And I've enjoyed reviving my biography reading habit, picking up two at the library today, Thomas Hart Benton and David Hockney. 

Sometimes I try to imagine that this is really my life, and I won't have to go back to my day job. It would, of course, be fantastic, but I would have to really adhere to a schedule. Too much time is lost in aimlessness. Despite that I haven't lost that feeling that I'm not getting enough done, or that there isn't enough time to do everything. For example, this blog, and my residency journals. And, of course, painting. 

The thing about painting is that it isn't something you can do and it's done. It demands time and more time as you dive deeper in. But that's ok, since for me it's the most important thing. I need to examine all the other things I think I NEED to do. Because even when I have All Day, they still don't all get done. The NY Times had a great column about "The Busy Trap" and I'm going to try to take it to heart. Not only can't I see the forest for the trees, I can't see the trees for the understory. So a little brush cleaning is in order. So I can load up those brushes in the studio.

The world of little

This is a shot of my entomological illustration class at RISD, as seen through a fun little application called Tiltshifter which makes photos look like little model train landscapes. It works best with a small central subject and wide foreground and background. I couldn't resist trying it on some of my Alaskan photos....


An idea is fermenting in my brain concerning this world of macro, a big lens, dioramas, landscape and paint. I hope it's the kind that ages well, since I see a very busy spring coming up, lots of paintings already circling the runway and so little time!

The ubiquitous Steve Jobs tribute

I know this is all over the place right now, but I just listened and it's pretty good. Kind of a little push to me to be less cautious, but of course I'm stealthilly watching it in a cubicle. What a wimp.

Pomegranate from the past

 

I've had a box of old slides scanned in recently and it's fun to see what was in the mix. It also gives me material to post when I'm too busy or lazy to come up with fresh new content and my blog starts nagging at me. This painting was about 3x4 feet and was done way back in my RISD days. I have no idea what happened to it...hard to think I could lose one that size!

Painting in prime time

 

Finally, that show about fascinating paintings is going to premiere this week with its pilot episode featuring, in "Kate's" office (Jeri Ryan), several paintings by me! I think there's some secondary plot about a medical examiner-something-something, but let's hope they don't stand in front of the paintings too often.  Alas, by the time the pilot was picked up for the series, my paintings were recast so it's a mystery as to what will grace the office walls for subsequent episodes. That's why you can't miss the premiere on Tuesday, March 29, 10pm Eastern, 9pm Central on ABC unless you have a good excuse, like me, who still doesn't have a TV! 

But I expect it will be available somewhere like Hulu, so if I find it, I'll publish the link in a gesture of shameless self promotion.

PS - For you Rhode Islanders, there are also bound to be lots of inaccurate arrangements of familiar places, or in other words, a view of "Philadelphia" that looks eerily familiar. 

PPS - How'd I get my paintings on TV? Like this. 

HERE'S MY PROMISED SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION: The link to see the pilot

Painting myself into a corner

OK, here's my excuse for not posting. I've been painting up a storm. Last night I started right after work and was up till 1am, brush in hand.

And I have to say, my walls look wonderful.

My studio, on the other hand, is dark and cold.

I know, my work is more important than my walls, but what's a painter to do when her house starts falling apart around her? I've been meaning to paint my interior walls since I moved in 10 years ago, and now they have started cracking and crazing and it's not a matter of cosmetics anymore. Since I'm the fix-up partner in my relationship (my husband is the brains of the operation) and with a lower tolerance of disrepair I decided that the few weeks before our big holiday family get-togethers is the perfect time to tear the house apart. Which explains the 1am.

Of course it would be sensible just to hire a house painter to do it, if sensible didn't cost so much money. I AM compromising and hiring a professional to do my kitchen, with its walls shedding flakes as thick as tortilla chips, so money will be spent, just no so much. And who needs a kitchen two weeks  before Christmas anyway? It's not like I have 10 people coming over Christmas Eve and 30 or so Christmas Day and a traditional English Christmas cake to make. Oh wait—it's EXACTLY like that.

But I have a tendency to create chaos on my way to order, which can lead to fascinating journeys in my studio, so I know that's where I should be spending my energy. The other morning, sitting at my kitchen table, flakes of paint flinging themselves off the walls, I saw an art magazine opened to a page with this quote circled. "Art is not what you do when everything else is done, everything else gets done after your art".  I won't say who circled it but it wasn't me. Because I don't know how you can put off everything till your art is done. Art is never done. And sometimes all those little life tasks join all their voices together and nag so annoyingly that it seems worth it just to lock up your studio and shut them up. And look forward to January.

Falling back

 

I don't know what it is about the fall that makes me want to organize my so called life, but I think it might be some instinctual feeling of making sure the nest is in order for the long interior months. So I'm spending some time sorting, cleaning and eliminating clutter. One advantage to that is that I'm finding things stashed away for years, like this oil crayon drawing I did back when the rivers were being moved in Providence. More work from that series can be seen HERE

Blue crab claws

 

In a perfect world I could walk the beach every morning and pick up treasures like these to paint. 

Technical difficulties

 
Still working on getting my blog feed to behave. I think I've succeeded in getting the date stamp to update from "1 year ago"  to "4 months ago", so I'm making progress. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for the lag, I know I'm not the most prolific blogger out there, but do update more often than my blog feed gives me credit for.

It seems to be a known issue with blogger, but last time I can find any promise to fix it was in 2009. If you're not seeing my updates, let me know. I'll figure it out somehow!

Battling Blogger

I'm fooling around with my blog template, as you can see. If you notice anything weird, or slow, or annoying, let me know. About the template I mean, not my posts.

Kittens!

It's not that I don't have more substantive things to blog about, but no time to actually compose a rational blog entry. So when all else fails — kittens! (No, they're not mine, though I was tempted to kitten-nap them.)

I'm heading into a couple of week's vacation from the day-job though, so I hope to post news of some real progress in the studio, and I don't mean cleaning.

Body of Proof - the trailer

It looks like the scenes from the TV pilot my paintings were starring in made the final cut! Check out the paintings on the wall at 1:20.

I know, those pesky actresses are in the way, and the paintings seem a bit blurry, but it's only the pilot after all. In the series (Friday nights on ABC!) I'm sure they'll clear the set and get the paintings in better focus. It's not certain, though, if they are going to film the rest of the series in Providence. The show itself is set in Philadelphia and could film elsewhere, especially if Gov. Carcieri succeeds in killing the tax credits for filming in RI. 

But whatever happens, let's hope she doesn't redecorate her office!

Backbone

A spinal column is a difficult thing to paint.

It's a wrap

These are the paintings, post shooting, that graced the office walls of a character on the TV pilot "Body of Evidence".   I was surprised that they chose some of my older work, but glad that my paintings escaped the storage rack and got a little moment under the big lights.

It was a fun experience, and I'm looking forward to seeing if I can spot them in the pilot, whenever it comes out.  That is, after I get a TV.

slogging on

My computer really should keep a safe distance from my studio...

Casting Call

I haven't watched TV in years (Hulu doesn't count, does it?).  I do own a TV, but it's in the cellar, a big monstrosity that we bought with wedding money 20 years ago.  I did get the HD converter box, but never got around to hooking it up, so it no longer gets any of the 3 channels it used to.

But I don't miss TV,  have no time for TV,  most stuff on TV is not worth watching —— and what? You want to use my paintings for a TV show? How EXCITING!

A few days ago I got a phone call from a set designer for a pilot called "Body of Evidence" being filmed in Providence. The show is about a medical examiner who solves crimes, (cadavers and crime, prime time requirements). Anyway, they need pictures to put on the faux office walls, and the designer was referred to my website. So my work is now standing by on the set.

Since the building they're using is just a block from where I work, I was able to get a tour.  I had no idea that they were filming when we walked through the chaotic, equipment filled rooms, but somehow my guide innately knew when to give me the signal to freeze every few minutes when she knew they were rolling.  After standing like a statue for about 5 minutes we heard someone yell "break for lunch", everyone relaxed, and I got a peek at the autopsy room, lab and offices while the designer and art director discussed which of the just-purchased pillows worked best for the office couch. 

A few people came off the set including a woman in purple scrubs.  It slowly dawned on me that it was the star of the show, Dana Delany. I only recognized her since she had a show back when I used to watch TV, China Beach, I have no idea who the other people are in the show, but my work will be in "Kate's" office.  So watch for it...hopefully it won't be blocked by those camera hungry actors.

The Hard Winter

South Dakota, 2002

The long drive on 44 into Rapid City is becoming more familiar. Two miles from the park entrance I pass through Interior. The Badlands wall runs off to the distance on the right for awhile and on the left, the Pine Ridge Sioux Reservation and the White River. Barbed wire fences with wooden gates anticipate a few far off ranch buildings. The abandoned Chicago-Milwaukee-St Paul and Pacific Railroad draws a line through the grass first on the right, then left. The Conata Road crosses. An abandoned old car is a landmark, as is the coyote that looks more dead each time I pass. Nothing blocks the sky, which is as active as the ocean. Signs that mark with an x where someone died on the straight and empty road sometimes stand in clusters of 3 or 4. More...

I tend to like to paint environments which are harsh, which is why I loved spending a month as artist in residence in South Dakota. But the harshness of the environment is not a facade. For those who live on this land survival can mean a life and death battle with the elements.
 
While the world is focusing on the tragedy in Haiti, there is another emergency here in the U.S.  Ice storms have toppled power lines and disrupted heat supplies for one of the poorest Indian tribes in this country, as blizzards crossed over the plains.

With unemployment up to 80% and desperate poverty, I guess you could say that the Oglala Sioux Tribe is always in a state of emergency, but if you'd like to help them get through the winter and buy propane for the most vulnerable members and elders of the tribe, here's a link.  http://www.oglalalakotanation.org/

Back to basics

Hey, isn't this supposed to be a painter's blog? Where are the paintings? What's with the video and photos? Not to mention - Politics? What is this, a postmodern gallery space?

Here is a painting to redeem myself. From my show at RWU and my series "From Providence to NYC".

Snowbound

A nice mini-blizzard this weekend has completely snowed in my studio. Although it's just a dozen steps from my back door, it doesn't seem worth shoveling out, at least until after Christmas.  I'm trying to not let that depress me. The fact is, I haven't worked in my studio for awhile. Between Christmas and one, possibly two, shows coming up in January,  I'm not sure when I'll get back in there.

I'm thinking February. I'll fight the cold and dark, fire up the propane stove and PAINT.  I can't wait.