"Train Air Painting" & Coping

A few emails were going around between my uptown plein air friends, and Francis mentioned he was going to paint in the 181st St A train station. He invited us to join.

This was the first time painting in the train- despite wanting to for a very long time. 

It's interesting because there is so much in the environment to work with, and different compositions than can be found in the parks or on the streets.

It was fun to be uncomfortable, and important, too.

I decided on my view and composition, then changed my mind last-minute and painted a portrait of Francis painting instead.

8x10 oil, 2 hours

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Some notes: I didn't bring or use any solvent because I'm trying to get used to that workflow.  

I missed solvent a LOT for the block-in. I struggled. The reason I am not using solvent is not due to any philosophical or health issue, it's simply because I'm studying workflows of a couple people right now who don't use it. It's solely due to a learning process.

I was originally going to paint this and I still want to:

I like that it's the A train, and I wanted the challenge of keying the whole painting to the fluorescent lights.  Next time.

Painting start:

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After painting, I got on the downtown A.

At 175th St, a man got on who kept kneeling down and .... kissing the floor of the train... then he stood up and did it again... over and over and over....

And my initial thought was "oh good, someone is weirder than I am."

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I am coping with life right now* and have come to the realization that one of the ways I cope with life is buying brushes.

It's ok; it could be a lot worse.

Patrick Okrasinski uses these, and I spent $26.

Yes, I really am that boring.

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* Life that I am Coping With

I got another call yesterday.

My mother had another stroke.

This one caused her to fall and she was laying on the floor (we don't know how because there's not enough space in her hoarded house for anyone to lay on the floor) for 4 or 5 DAYS before the mail piled up and the neighbors called the cops for a well-check.

She's still alive, unbelievably, and in the hospital.

It has been determined that she is incapable of making any decisions for herself (duh) and she will go... somewhere??... next week probably after leaving the hospital.

She is pissed off beyond belief at still being alive, and also now she thinks it's 2005.

I do not need to see her before she dies.

I just want it to be all over with. It's time for this horrible awful situation to end, for everyone.

All this junk that has been in the background of my life is coming to the foreground and it's a little bit to process. I am doing that and it is ok but it's just something to go through.