. . . mailed it in

That's how I feel about the painting above. . . and probably the last two or three paintings that I've done. Not inspired; merely going through the motions, mailing it in. I am trying to figure out if I like this painting or if I hate it.


Last fall I had my dining room painted Benjamin Moore's wenge, the dark dark brown, which I thought would look sophisticated, or at least as sophisticated as I can get. I still really like the color and the room. I am having a hard time putting holes in the walls for art, though; I want what I put up there to be perfect so that I don't have to move it around and see prior nail holes.


During this past summer, I tried to paint over a large piece of framed art that I didn't like any more. All the paint peeled off, so I stripped it down and gessoed over it all again. For some reason I don't remember, that framed and prepared but unpainted canvas is sitting on the buffet in the dining room. I have discovered that while I'm contemplating an iffy painting, I can tack it to this one and let it percolate a bit. So that what's I''m doing with this piece of "mail art."


I think that the brown paint makes a great background for art of almost any kind. I found two matching Belgian cabinets at an estate sale, very dark oak, and have them hanging on either side of the bay window here. The upper parts are open with doors below. In the openinings I have put antique white ironstone tureens. The huge wooden bowl in the center of the table is a gift from my mother-in-law; I believe it was her mother's bowl. It is hand-carved from one piece of wood. It actually has a little three-legged stand that allows it to sit on the floor, but right now I'm using it on the table.


I can turn from my computer 180 degrees and take a look at the painting hanging on the wall. Sometimes I think, "what a waste of canvas and paint"; sometimes I think, "well, someone might like it" and sometimes I think "that looks so good up there, I think I'll keep it."