My Yesterday in Pictures Format

I’ve simply built my daily walking & painting up to the point where I need the time for these two vital parts of keeping me healthy and/or sane, lol!

My Day Ahead series posts will continue, but on a much more intermittent basis. Already it seems some of that series’ usefulness is being incorporated into this new series’ format, me yakking ‘bout what when on, on the yesterday part of my life anyway, lol! It’s a continuing experiment of course, so we’ll see 😊

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Covering three days, I‘ll try to keep it short on talk, lol!

If it helps, and you’d like to skip to a section you like right away, they are:

• Monday, Dec 23 – Prep
• Tuesday, Dec 24 – Feast of the Seven Fishes
• Wednesday, Dec 25 – Christmas Day – Perspective, plans and reflections ❤️

Thanks ya’ll 😊

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Monday 12.23.19

Sheila & I knew the next day, with the annual Christmas Eve friends and family dinner, would be a gourmet blowout (in a very good way), so we picked up some crab cakes at Central Market, cut up a ton of veggies, and mini-feasted quietly at home 😊

I made the decision not to touch the work formerly known as Ridges of Light because I, 1) like it too much as is, 2) couldn’t think of thing to improve it ❤️ I did add a faint white sig on the bottom left, which I then enhanced two days later on Christmas. Eventually I still plan to add either a Soft Gel Gloss coat or a varnish to preserve it & keep it from getting gritty or dirty.

Evidently, if left untreated, the Absorbent Ground I placed on the white gesso primer, so as to be able to apply a true acrylic tinted wash of water, would continue to be susceptible to further absorption! Something I definitely don’t want!

It may mean going beyond simple online research and giving the folks at Golden paints a call. They actually do have a phone # for product inquiries – Product Use Support!

If I do, which I probably will, I’ll be sure & write about it 😊

Evening walk was a beauty! Monday’s evening star shone brightly in the dawn of the cool night sky. It was the last long night walk I’d get a chance to have til Thursday, though I did get plenty of walking in otherwise 😊

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Christmas Eve 12.24.19
(food, art, and an annual family & friends gathering ❤️ )

For our contribution to what is labeled the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, Sheila & I made a tossed greens salad or organic spinach & arugula tossed with grape tomatoes, grapes, walnuts, plus cucumbers & Spanish olives (the latter both to be added at the dinner). And yes, we made a prior snack lunch of it for us too, lol! 😊

My one art project for the day was to begin following up my 1st two 6x6s by prepping two new 6×6 gallery wrap canvases, setting up the stage for my next two absorbent ground acrylic wash experimental paintings.

First, as before, I brushed on a vertical sweep then a horizontal sweep of absorbent ground on the acrylic gesso primer, but then followed up with a less smooth diagonal third layer.

Additionally I used a toothpick and carved my signature into the 3rd layer. Each layer was applied only after the previous layer was dry.

I was going to leave the sig then as is on the absorbent ground but decided the next day (Christmas) to add something to (shown further below) one of the two 6x6s. In other words I’ll be working on two experimental ways of using my “carved” sig in the new paintings with acrylic washes.

Kinda hedging my bets and kinda being chicken to just go with one carved option (vs the two I eventually decided on the next day) 😊

As usual Sheila and I were the 1st of the gang of friends and family to arrive at our youngest girl’s house. Her husband and his parents from out of town were already there, along with the 6 year old. A lot of work’d already been done, including this gorgeous true tulip flanked by a small candle 💕

Several areas are always used to “house” the whole party and celebration, not counting the kitchen / breakfast nook / and back deck “hang-outs” 😊

Later, almost filled to capacity with great food, the Italian cake (which turned out to finally do me in, lol! 😂) still to come — we got a Christmas carols singing treat from several of the children, most of which we’ve seen grow since they were babies. Can’t wait till they can start doing trapeze acts! Just kidding 😊

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Christmas Day 12.25.19
(perspective, plans and reflections…)

Exhausted (and we did was the eating!), and still full, I was glad my Austin pink sunset PhotoPoem went up well for Christmas. I like coming up with a verse, or having one of my images haunt me for one, and joining it to one of my images, painting or photo. It’s a particularly fulfilling creative endeavor ❤️

There were lots of presents to be exchanged, but Lumi the kitty was quite content to observe from outside 😊

And here’s my “enhancement” to one of my carved signatures on the newly absorbent ground layered 6×6 canvases from the day before (see further up above in this post) – added Soft Gel Gloss to create, as I’ve read recently, resistance to the wash, so that the applied area will remain white.

Somewhat remain? Fully remain white? We’ll see!

Since I resumed painting (vs mostly photography) late last year, it seems I’ve been on an experimental search through my –

• use of oils w/texture, image style (from formerly impressionist to now semi-abstract), paint application (brush/palette knife), and inserting an “object” into an abstract
• re-introduction (since the 80s) of acrylic paints, including my discovery of washes and absorbent grounds (for now 😊)
• my use of marble dust with 1st water soluble oils and now acrylics

And if all goes well, tomorrow afternoon after SilverSneakers Yoga, hope to work on my new small 6×6 canvases. Question’ll be – on one of the new 6×6’s? or the still-in-progress 6×6 from the original two? Hopefully, at least one of those two options!

(reflections)

Yes, Christmas, as a day of peace and new beginnings, is as promised ❤️

I’ve never thought too consciously about my art having a spiritual intent, but I’ve always hoped to project and/or induce a sense of peace or wonderment. To create something uplifting. Did I think of my work as spiritual? Honestly, no. Did I feel I wanted to imbue a sense of connection beyond one’s self? Yes. Consciously? Yes.

All components I believe, of whatever it is that spiritual is.

So, do I claim my work is spiritual? No.

Would I accept my work affects someone spiritually, including myself?

When and if it happens, yes, gladly! 💕

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My Day Ahead series posts, an intermittent series, elaborates on both my day ahead & the day past, my yesterday 😊

I try to post My Yesterday in Pictures series daily.

Adan

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Thanks everyone! 😊

Adan

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