Detail, Work in Progress, watercolour, pencil, ink © Therese Neelands

Cold, cold, cold today.

Keeping warm by the heat of the desk lamp.

Even the dog can’t withstand the dog park,

she hops around on 3 legs,

her little belly quivering.

]]> http://strawberrysnail.com/2012/01/sneak-peak/feed/ 0 http://strawberrysnail.com/2012/01/new-years-resolution/ http://strawberrysnail.com/2012/01/new-years-resolution/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:28:27 +0000 admin http://strawberrysnail.com/?p=1882

Staying here for as long as possible.

©Therese Neelands 2011 watercolour, ink on paper

Before I pick up a paintbrush, this is what I look at. Always.

Have you seen these books? His handling of light and shadow,

his brilliant use of empty space,

brilliant ability to edit,

to tell a story in the simplest of ways,

and tug, tug, tug at your heart.

Oliver Jeffers.

Hello. It’s been awhile.

And it’s been a struggle to keep up with everyday,

wanting to do this and that,

and never having enough time.

There’s that struggle and desire

for perfection every day,

and then you see something that surpasses

what you thought was “perfect”…

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.

Mamma mia.

I stood in front of Martha and Mary Magdelene for several half hour intervals.

Until the guards started to smile at me. (A feat)

I actually had wells of water in my eyes.

I have always loved Caravaggio. In fact, on my last trip to Malta (where two are housed in Valletta), my dad bought me an amazing present. The most gigantic and sexiest book on the complete works of Caravaggio. I carried it to Sicily and trekked it all around there and back to Canada. I actually keep it under my bed, to keep it pristine, because everything around here gets covered in paint. Every now and again, I peek under my bed and drag my precious out from under it and caress its pages.

It is very expensive.

And so my father bought me this book, and my father-in-law put me on a train recently to Ottawa to see the exhibition Caravaggio and His Followers in Rome. It closes on September 11th. And so my post is late. (blah-blah-struggle-wanting to do this and that-not enough time)

Have a lovely weekend.

Home Alone for the weekend

with two dogs insanely jealous of each other

and of my organic turkey sausage pictured above.

There is cold beer in the fridge, and cold white wine for dinner.

There are canine sighs, there is light morning rain.

I trip over 8 little legs who never leave my shadow.

There is a new note card design waiting to be printed and scored,

and a Warbling Vireo waiting to be painted alongside Mr. Toad.

Enjoy your Sunday.

detail, oil on board © Therese Neelands

Had roughly a bodum of coffee this morning

and cleaned my studio

for 2 hours.

We took Margaret to the park,

she chewed on a stick,

and we watched a group of dancers dance under the trees.

There was cricket playing, and soccer.

Banjos and harmonicas.

I came home and painted over some stuff

listening to The Stooges and Erica Werry.

Here is a sneak peak.

We get these every year as a gift from A’s parents. It is the best gift ever. I am lucky to have in-laws that also like looking at art and appreciate it like I do.

On Wednesday we went to see the Abstract Expressionist show from the MOMA. I got there an hour early, so I got to roam around the gallery before seeing the show. I get really excited looking at paintings – these objects on a wall that embody so much – not only a culture, a time, a space, but an individual as well. I think that’s amazing.

I liked the show – there was a lot of criticism, but I just think it’s important that we get to see this stuff. There was a black enamel Pollack that was beautifully calligraphic, and I thought the Rothko room was really well done. You can go into a trance seeing those paintings in the flesh, no matter how many times you see them on a poster.

I wasn’t happy with the placement of the Guston’s which seemed like they couldn’t figure out where to put them. One of them wasn’t abstract. Should they have included a Klan painting? (though I was overjoyed to see one in real life. If you stood in the doorway of the gift shop and looked out there straight ahead, the lighting was perfect, and its presence was huge). They are difficult paintings because they are so different from everything else. I think they needed more space. To me, one Guston painting is like one big body, they are heavyweight, full of flesh, mass and psyche.

I thought they could have done away with the last two gray ones though. Often what is eliminated is what makes the impact.

I found the feather this morning when I took Margaret out for a walk. The air was pungent and sweet, full of lilacs I think. I find the negative spaces in feathers interesting – the shapes and lines that are created by them. I also like the quill, which is sort of like an old toenail if you look at it closely, which is sort of gross.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

**those rocks in the first picture? They are from an unexpected friend who passed away last year. I didn’t know we shared a passion until after her death – collecting rocks. The one on the left is a great big mass of lapis lazuli and pyrite. Not sure what the other is.**

I had a temper tantrum this afternoon.

Andrew listened, which was productive.

I sighed. And put on some really punk music.

I gave up on making the perfect painting and finally finished it.

Finally.

Happy Spring