Mothers Day & Raphael

I have basically written Mother's Day off.

The most I can hope for is a Happy Mothers Day text from Daya, which happened, and that's it.

So, it's just a day.

I have been meaning to go see the Raphael show at the Met.

We have spoken about it in egg tempera class, at least the people who went already talked about it.

I have been needing to 1) find a day to do it and 2) brace myself for the inevitable crowd, which I haven't been in the mood for.

Karen went and said it was too big.

Janette went and really liked it, said the drawings were excellent.

I agree with both of them.

The exhibit was "padded" with a lot of Raphael-contemporary or influences.

I get it, but it was still too big.

The drawings were lovely though, that was true- and some of the paintings.

I didn't photograph the whole show- not even close, but here are pics of things I liked.

2 Paintings, Sold

The Riverside Park painting from last month sold pretty much as soon as I painted it, which was nice.

I told the buyer it'll be ready in a month, he was cool with that.

Actually, everyone who buys a fresh painting has been cool with waiting a month.

Sometimes other painters ask me about that, but it has never been an issue.

It's just the nature of oil paint. I tell people one month and they're good with it.

Sometimes (not always) I use a white with a drier.  these are one-layer alla prima paintings without a lot of added oil, and I think a month is just fine for good drying. 

I have never once had any technical issue with this, and I have been doing this long enough and often enough that I would know.

So, give it a month, varnish, and it's ready.

When I reached out to my buyer about the painting being ready, he asked if my Brooklyn Bridge painting was still available, because his wife wants it.

I said sure, I can have it ready for today, he said great and sent me more money.

The timing of this has been nice, it paid for so much paint and also the framing and shipping costs for the 2 fundraiser paintings I donated this year.

It's also a feeling like no other when a stranger loves your work enough to give you money for it.

It's also a nice gauge on my pricing, which I finally increased for the first time ever.

I do think my prices are reasonable and appropriate.

We met up at the Lincoln Center fountain, and 2 paintings went off together to a wonderful home.

Forest Hills Gardens

I felt like painting flowers after work.

The trick was finding some.

They are in the cemetery, but the big one by me closes at 5pm.

Then I thought I could walk over to Forest Hills Gardens, people are nuts about their landscaping there.

Most of the flowers seem to have disappeared but there are a few... I found this nice wall with pretty shrubs.

As I set up, a man parked behind me.

He asked if he was blocking me, and I said no. That was really nice of him to ask!

I told him I'll paint the flowers, aren't they wonderful?

As it turns out, it was his house and his flowers!

I never ask if I can set up at any given location, but I also never trespass and I'm always respectful of the environment. Also, people don't ever mind painters. That nice man did not mind at all.

8x10 oil

Overnight at Green-Wood Cemetery & Plein Air Pond Water Adventures

Well, not quite overnight, but kind-of.

There was a moon fest event at Green-Wood, and Janae asked if I want to go.

Of course! She lives close by, so we planned on me spending the night and both of us painting early in the morning

Apparently it was the first year they had this event, so I knew it would be chaos and it kind of was.

But it was fun anyhow. It was me, Janae, Janae's teenage son, and her boyfriend.

There were walking tours and a few food things, not many.

We got a HUGE bucket of mini donuts, which were the best thing on earth until they weren't anymore.

I have had my donut quota for the entire year now.

We went on a walking tour of glowing fungi, which was .... underwhelming but still fun.

Key takeaway, quoted verbatim:

"Most things don't glow."

They really were amazing donuts.

No one needs a bucket of them, and the 4 of us couldn't finish it.

*********

The next morning we walked back over to Green-Wood to paint.

Janae brought oil pastels and watercolor, but she forgot to bring water.

We settled next to a pretty flowering shrub, not too far from a large pond with a fountain.

We remarked how nice it sounded.

Several times.

I gave Janae some solvent for the oil pastels, since she forgot water.

And it seriously took about 15 minutes for me to realize THERE IS WATER IN THE POND DUHHH...

Oh my god we are so dumb!

I'm a little more mobile than Janae is right now, so like the good art friend I am, I ran and got pond water, which was green-tinged but whatever.

I said don't drink it.

Then I finished this painting, 8x10 oil...

I really needed a quinacridone red and I did not bring one but whatever.

20

Today is my 20 year anniversary at work.

20 years.

It's weird, I can't possibly be that old, and I know it's also a huge blessing.

Actually, it's not uncommon at my company.

There are a lot of us who have been around forever- lots of people there even longer than me.

Honestly, I'd like to stay until retirement, until it is my choice to leave.

That would suit me just fine.