Possible, impossible

I just realized how much everything depends on the moment.  We cannot influence anything, no matter how hard we try.  I think the Buddhists understand that.  Maybe other religions and philosophies as well.  Even politicians and spies can't learn from previous events, so how can we?  If anyone has a chance, they should go to the first Church or open green field and pray.  Who will be heard first?  It feels so strange, to be writing of green fields in the middle of the night.  But that is an artist's domain....to always think of other scenarios...remember the dark when there is light...reminisce about snow in the summer.  It's not necessary that everything is opposite, black or white...it can just be a single letter, a breath, a stumble, a sound, which transport us back or forward to what has been or what will be....
At this point, I would like to add a photo, but will have to find a way to import my latest work in a direct way.  Technical hurdle, again.  Imagine a photo here...green upon green, with star-like splashes, spiralling towards an ultramarine nebula!
Today, I learned a few things, some old some new.  One is that I don't remember some of the most beautiful moments of life, another; that tomorrow is the first day of Summer even though it almost feels over. I also realized that I have secretly been an abstract painter for most of the time.  Though that's not something I learned, but something I realized. Learning and realizing are definitely not the same thing.  So much is learned before it is realized.  My abstract paintings are just beginnings, musings, secretive plays and fanciful expressions.  Most of them end up with visions and visitors of human shapes, but some refuse entry or change, remaining enigmatic renderings of imprints and strokes of colour.
Another thing I learned is that more that 1,000 people have seen this blog!  I wonder if any ever read it?
I still prefer painting from live models.  Their destinies are often entwined with the paintings.  I learned today, that my impressions are often idealized even though I prize myself as being an astute judge of character.  No one can really know how these changes occur.  S will move on to another country, taking her painting with her, without really knowing why. I am sad to see it go, more than the actual person.  The best of her is in the painting.  It will never change.  Time's tarnish of a painting is external, while of a person it is internal...but that is for another time.  The east is going to sleep.

Artistic May in Montreal

Somehow I completely missed April in this blog...of course it's not the only month I missed!  But it was an important month for my artistic evolution and expression!  It is the month in which I created my large abstract diptych, "Hermes' wings", which everyone loves!  It is also the month in which the "jump" or "wind" painting began! April was a busy creative month despite the cold weather and physical difficulties I had.  But May is full of obligations, clutter and tension.  The heat began yesterday, all of a sudden, as though a Cuban wave followed us all the way from Varadero. But it's not Cuba.....it's asphalty, pot-holed, dusty Montreal. It's only in the last few days that tulips have come out and leaves are starting to bud on the bare tree branches!  Hopefully it will all be green within a week! Nature has a lot of artistry to do very quickly!  I just realised that today is Mother's day....
Another time, another day,
My Mother, so far away!
Now I will try to download the studio photo with the new paintings by Marina!

This was the studio at the end of April...the freedom caught in motion.....temporary flight anticipating happiness!

Marchness

I always thought that March Madness had to do with how crazy and mad everyone here becomes after such a long winter but no, it has to do with the March Hare's mating season and then the term was transferred onto basketball! Well I for one, think it is an appropriate term for Montrealers in March!  We are all a bit mad...spring is here, but it isn't.  And it won't really come till May.  We want to go out and celebrate, shed our winter jackets, gloves and hats, run in the parks!, but no it's still freezing and the snow hasn't melted...need I go on?  So I will not be going out to paint any watercolours soon.  The studio gives the semblance of spring with all the plants and streaming sunshine!  If I close my eyes, it almost feels tropical!  I will concentrate my madness at cleaning up and arranging all the paintings after the Ottawa show.  It went very well and there was a great vibe before during and after, despite the physical difficulties of putting on such a big show! These days so much falls on the artists shoulders...we have to be the creators, the transporters, the publicists,the merchants.....it goes on! K had a dream that a museum offered to sponsor a show for me:)

King Midas and Tsar Novinar were my big collectors for this show.  The articles that came out were wonderful, especially by the lovely S.  I had a lot if good comments regarding the press and especially the painting of the Carica.  Who would ever guess that I would paint a Serbian Tsarina, but inspiration is a strange bird...it travels the ages!

February update

I have been working hard for my upcoming expo in Ottawa for Women's Day 2014!  I worked a lot on the Serbian Tsarina and she is now finished, except for the final varnish!  It was not just the act of painting which took place.....it is a melange of history, emotion, logic, colour, poetry and composition.

The other  portrait that I finished is of M.S.C.!  It shows her extreme generosity and kindness, but I think it also captures her logical and analytical side, as well as her womanliness!  It is only a drawing, but it has a lot of personality!  Sometimes we can say more with one line than with many colours!

This exhibit is important, because I'm gathering some of  my paintings of women over time, and will let them say something!  It's as though the paintings paint themselves over the years and always know what they mean.  They only wait to be called out (shown) at the right time.  There are still more waiting, like actors in the wings.  Men, women, children...all waiting their turn, the right time to tell their story.

Sport of life

The new sports painting of M.R. Is almost finished and I will be auctioning it off soon! I began it before he won an award, so the good luck is definitely there!

On the other hand, I'm having more trouble with the portrait of M. The dark red background is challenging, and though I like the Matisse like colours in the face, the blue collar shirt is not working!  I will have to ask him to wear a white shirt at the next portrait session, when he comes back from Florida!

Almost everyone is leaving Montreal for the holidays.  It was hard to get to the studio with all the snow yesterday.  I will try today, and hope they cleaned the snow from the parking lot!  There is a lot of work to be done before the little Christmas party!  I have to finish my beautiful cloud painting...is the woman trapped or free....it turned out to be a "trompe d'oeil" on it's own, because of the geometry in the background!

Effort of movement vs involuntary movement

As long as we are alive, there is movement that the brush or spatula can convey in paint.  Sometimes if I look at one of my paintings, it seems to be actually breathing.  I think that is because, as I paint the model, I record the slight oscillations of light and minuscule changes in position that result from breathing.  So the paintings are always in motion, wether it's an athlete or a sleeping beauty!  I am working on both right now, but will not be able to download any photos, simply because the process would take too long without the right apps....so I will wait till my next show to display them.  For now, only the few who visit my studio can see them.

I realize that working with pallet knives allows me a greater richness of colour than with brushes.  The brush is best for long and uninterrupted strokes describing form, while the pallet knife is for building physical substance.

For portraits from life, I use more brushes, but when I work from photos, the spatula is best.  Tomorrow, I will continue J's portrait and so far am using only brushwork.  He told me his favourite colour is red, so I've made the background a beautiful ruby red using a translucent layers of acrylics....

Photo of me working

Finally, I downloaded a photo!  I figured out how to do it with the new system and from the iPad. I have to download them to another site first, and only then can I download them to the blog.  I decided against downloading just the paintings alone, so this is one of me working on an acrylic; lake with flowers and mountains, painting.  It is a melange of my past and recent memories of B.C., Greece, and Quebec!

                                                                                   Marina Gavanski Zissis