Company's Coming

to take a look at some of my paintings; this one is not one of them.

This one, Gaillardias (number one), is the first painting I did after years of not doing anything, but work--designing remodeling projects. It got me back into art for art sake--which means you paint or draw or do whatever it is you do that's arty for the love of it, not for money. My residential designs were my living; my drawings and paintings were for fun.

This painting is very important to me; it taught me an important lesson: When I think I'm finished, I should stay finished. I did not. Over the years that Gaillardias hung on my wall, I kept taking it down and reworking it, till it turned ugly.

For the last couple of years, I let the abomination hang on the wall to remind me to leave finished stuff alone. Seeing it day after day with the muddy glaze I had to try, made me think I had to get rid of my drawings and painting as soon as I thought they were done. It didn't matter how--give them away as holiday gifts, hide them in a closet or sell them; I had to get them out of the house and away from me. Being already employed, I was not about to go into another business. So I gave stuff to my kids, hid stuff in drawers and portfolios and stashed them in the storage room; all, except for Gaillardias. On the wall it would remain, an ugly lesson I should never forget.

Yesterday, I took it down from the wall and, instead of putting it in the storage room, went into it one more time. Company was coming to see my art. I didn't want anything around I didn't feel good about.

The painting, much to my surprise, came out quite well. I think, due to me thoughtlessly following my urges. I owe its final success to this blog. Having promised to produce a drawing or painting every day, I'm committed to forging ahead with a minimum of thinking and a lot of doing in a short period of time. Yesterday, I painted fast. I painted enthusiastically. I painted nonjudgmental. The painting was revived full of life. No more brushes will touch its surface. AGIMW,Gaillardias number one will be a keeper--in the breakfast room of my son Jon in California.