Parent Observation Paintings, Again

Tonight I painted during the partnering class then the pointe class at Manhattan Youth Ballet.

I decided to go simple, beause I had absolutely no time.  Each class is only 1 hour and I had to switch studios.

Because of that I decided to try a different approach... I'm not sure if it worked or not but it was interesting.

Instead of gouache I used my small set (small meaning 24) of inktense blocks... you can use them kind of like watercolor pans.... combined with inktense pencils and white gouache. The reason I did this was so I didn't have to set anything up. There is just no time.

My biggest problem was time. And at the end I was really struggling with wet paint.

I might touch these paintings up if I decide to post them on social media, but I want to document the work on-location after 1 hour.

Mr George's partnering class, 5x7

The pointe class was even less than an hour, and with the studio switch I decided to drop color all together and use pencils plus one of my Derwent paint pan sets... this one. And then I added the blue because it needed it.

I wanted to zoom out a bit more and put more figures in.  I had to choose a warm-up pose early on because of time....

This isn't the greatest painting but who cares, it isn't always about the end result.

And I know how difficult this is to do, so with that considered it's pretty successful for what it is.

It does need studio touch-up for social media posting though.... if I choose to do it.

Rent at Lag

It's the Senior Drama Festival time at LaGuardia, and my friend's daughter is a drama senior.
They did Rent.
I went, because I had nothing else to do and why not?

I love going to the LaGuardia shows.

It wasn't as good as the all-school musical, but it isn't the same production value either.

It's just drama seniors.

They perform in the little Flower Theater, not the concert hall.

(I think the music studio opera is in the concert hall right now, they are doing The Merry Widow, and I want to go to that too but can't.)

My friend's daughter was great and it was a nice way to spend the evening.

Update on the Fantastic Vat of Toxic Sludge

Remember my Fantastc Vat of Toxic Sludge?

Look how beautiful and clear the solvent is now.

The sludge jar is still here, covered... I'm waiting for hot weather to let it dry out and turn into a rock.

MYB Observation Week

 It is Parent Observation Week at Manhattan Youth Ballet and that means..... painting live dance classes!

I am SO BUMMED this will be over.... I wish I could do this much more.
Maybe LaGuardia will let me after Daya graduates......

Anyhow, Daya had ballet with Ashley Bouder, then modern with a sub.

Both paintings were 1 hour painting time and are in gouache.
The ballet class is more than an hour and I had a HUGE advantage tonight that both classes were in the same studio... so I could just stay set up. It's a massive time-saver.... and this kind of on-location painting is extremely difficult to do. Doing it in an hour is batshit crazy to be honest. It's stressful.

I have been unhappy in past attempts at the figures, so this time I brought my sketchbook and sketched moving figures, chose a pose, then referred back to my "notes" to place the figures in the room.  

This approach worked really well but I still need to refine the process.

I need more practice.

5x7 gouache

Ashley Bouder (!!!) reposted me on instagram!

Puddles Plein Air

I really wanted to paint today, and I have been wanting to paint puddle reflections, so I went over to Flushing Meadows and did just that.

This painting took about 2 hours.
By the time I was finished the gnats had come out in full force.

It also got more overcast as the afternoon progressed.

8x10 oil

 

I finished in time to walk home, clean up, and leave for Daya's second show... which was just as amazing as yesterday's.

AND............................

THIS IS FANTASTIC................

There was a boy in the audience, he is a student at MYB.... WEARING THE SAME PRATT SWEATSHIRT I GOT IN 1995!!!!!

To my knowledge this sweatshirt was only made in 1995...

well, i KNOW he wasn't there back then, so I asked him who gave it to him.... his uncle.

I wish I had worn mine to the show today!!

(I love this sweatshirt and still wear it all the time. Despite almost 30 years of hard wear, it is in excellent shape. That boy's I think was worn way less than mine tho...)

Balanchine & The Met

Daya is in performances this weekend, and I am going to 2 shows- one today and closing night tomorrow.

She is dancing a Balanchine duet from The Four Temperaments.
It's ridiculously difficult.

Unfortunately no video is available due to copyright reasons... the Balanchine Trust just doesn't allow any of the choreography to be in public videos.

I got front row center seats to both shows.

Her dancing tonight was absolutely spectacular- mind-blowing and overwhelming I am so, so proud of Daya.

After the show I went to meet Kedrin at The Met and sketch.

We wandered around remote rooms and hallways in the Asian wing.

I did one sketch.

Old School Elevator

I went to pick up my taxes today.

It's nice to be all done with that... I go to a family-run business and they have done my taxes for more than 20 years. The son has inherited the business from his father, but his dad still comes in and works.  He did my taxes last year.

They lived right at the end of the block on the same street as me when I lived in my very first apartment.

Then I moved and traveled back.

Then they moved to the next neighborhood over from me.....

And their suite number is the same as my apartment number.

Life is fun like that sometimes.

Anyhow, their building isn't ancient but it isn't new, either.

They have one of those old elevators where you have to go up to 1.

Any guesses why?

It's so there is no 13th floor.

I don't think this is a thing in new construction these days, but tall buildings used to not have a 13th floor.  If I recall correctly, the Willoughby dorm at Pratt does not have a 13th floor.  Or, it didn't when I was there.

It skipped from 12 to 14.

That was very common.

Now, I don't even know if Daya's generation even knows 13 used to be considered such a bad luck number that there were not even 13th floors in buildings!

Speaking of old school elevators, the elevator at Pratt (in the main building) was from the 1800s and required an operator.  It was so cool.

They have since replaced it with a more modern, much uglier metal box and I think they shouldn't have been allowed to do that for historical reasons.

I'm really happy I got to experience it.

Well that didn't take long.

Yesterday Daya received her acceptance letter to Purchase.

The college she auditioned for on Saturday.

It took them 3 days, and Sunday doesn't count so 2 days.

It's a no-brainer that they would want her but I'm still happy and proud of her.

So I guess no matter what she's got a place to go and it's not too scary financially.

Important Lessons From Terrible People

I apologized to Daya for my inappropriate comment yesterday.

It's true I should never have said it.

When someone is mean to Daya I get a little crazy.

**********

When I was writing yesterday's post an event that happened during my high school years came to mind. Because some people really are just downright mean and arrogant.

It's a story that I have told before, and I was so sure it was here on this blog somewhere, but astoundingly I cannot find it. I can't believe I never wrote about it here.

**********

Once upon a time when I was 16 years old, during the summer following my junior year in high school, I was accepted into a program called Governor's Honors (GHP). It was a 6 week long, completely free summer program for so-called gifted high school students in all areas of study.

I was accepted for visual arts.

It was very competitive- and only 40 people from the entire state of Georgia (I went to high school in GA) were accepted for visual arts. So it was a big deal that I got in. 40 people from the entire state.

We had a major (what we got in for) and a minor.  I minored in voice.

The program took place at Valdosta State University down at the bottom of Georgia.

We lived in the dorms.

As part of the program, several guest artists came to work with us.

One of them-- I wish to this day I could remember her name because she was amazing.

I think??? her first name was Helen but I could be wrong. (I asked Scott and not only was he thinking about her this past week too (!!!) but he also can't recall... he thinks maybe Susan but isn't sure.)  I have tried google searches but I'm just not sure. It's been a while. She was an installation artist.

She was just an amazing human being who knew how to bridge gaps with people, to find out how we are the same. I think she truly enjoyed working with us. I wish I remembered her name, because she is worth remembering.

***********

There was another guest artist whose name I will NEVER forget.

But I probably shouldn't say her name.

If you are really dying to know, you can contact me privately and I'll tell you.

She's still around and working.

She's a horrible person but I learned something very important from her, even though it took me a very long time to get there. And I don't think being a horrible person was necessary for the lesson.

The guest artists had a show in the gallery in the art building.

I fell in love with her work.

Like, madly in love.

She gave a presentation on her work.

She's a brilliant artist, truly.

You can't deny it.  She's just amazing.

So I was this dumb 16 year old kid, totally dazzled by her work.

I saw her standing and talking with a group of adults.

It took me a few minutes to get the nerve to go up to her, introduce myself and tell her how much I absolutely loved her work.

I also asked how much she sells paintings for.

Her response, complete with a scoff- this I will never forget- 

"More than you'll ever be able to afford."

And she laughed at me as I walked away and so did all the other adults.

*********

To this day I don't think I have ever been as humiliated as I was from that encounter.

I wanted to die, I was so humiliated.  Reeling humiliation.

I felt it was the most wrong and offensive thing to have ever asked her that question- which today, I know is not true.

And I couldn't look at her work ever again without feeling physically nauseated.

I lost all the love I had for her beautiful art.

It became ugly to me.

It affected me so strongly that in the early days of the internet, while I was at Pratt, I looked her up to find anything I could find.

And apparently she was teaching and her students said the same thing- she was a really incredible artist but an absolutely devastatingly mean person.

********

The kind of person I admire is someone who is a master at their craft- and along with that mastery comes a certain humility and kindness to others.

I am fortunate to have met some people like this as well, thankfully.

Daya has several teachers I place in this category, just amazing humans.

And it took me years to realize I should never have been treated like that, and it was more of a reflection on her than me. Because I really thought I had done something offensively wrong. 

And to be summed up and categorized like that...

And what a thing to say to a kid, anywhere- but especially in that particular environment.

Thoughts on Being a Terrible Person

Daya is mad at me because I said something out of character and probably a bit low-blow mean about someone.

I probably shouldn't have said it, even just to her privately, but I'm still not (very) sorry.

It's something I would never have said about pretty much anyone else, nor is it something I am judgy about in general.

And I would never have said it to anyone else except privately to Daya.

So I think Daya was a bit shocked because I don't say stuff like this, ever.

She's definitely furious, and she said she is disappointed in me.

She's all Gen Z social-acceptance-etc.

They are, as a whole, very accepting of identities but they also are a pretty mean generation themselves, once anything rubs them the wrong way even in the slightest. They accept you until anything ruffles them then you get cancelled. They are intolerant of differing beliefs and perspectives, while being accepting of all outward identities.

Here is an interesting article on the Gen Z tolerance/intolerance paradox.

And another one, written by a Gen Zer.

************

So anyhow yesterday I went to support my friend's daughter at a show from Daya's old dance studio.

It was, in general, a nice show and I enjoyed it. A nice way to spend the afternoon.

One of the girls in particular was very mean to Daya, and she's still mean from what I hear.

And apparently she's now also one of the favorites there.

Once she literally went up to Daya and said "I'm a better dancer than you are."

So ok.

We have a mean arrogant girl who thinks she's so fabulous.

You might be thinking oh she's just jealous and insecure.

Nope, I don't buy that in this situation. She's just mean.

And she was mean to Daya. Directly, specifically, blatantly, and intentionally.

I dislike the girl, in case you couldn't tell.

So anyhow long story short my friend and I were talking about wider dance things and I have the video from yesterday. I opened it this morning and called Daya over to see this girl.

She's not that good.

If she wasn't so mean and arrogant I would not be critical, I just wouldn't care.

But when someone builds themselves up to be this Great! Thing! and is MEAN TO OTHERS as part of that, well, I get judgmental.

And if you are mean to my kid my claws come out.

The Terrible Thing I Said: She looks a little chunky.

***********

Not the finest thing out of my mouth, admittedly, and there are people there who are on the larger side of the body type spectrum that I would never, ever think or want to say that about. Nor would I give a shit. Truly.

But when you blow yourself up to be God's gift to the dance stage, you aren't really that good... well all that I still wouldn't say it... but SHE WAS REALLY MEAN TO DAYA so it just came out.

So Daya is mad at her terrible Gen X mother who grew up hearing much, MUCH worse and has moved away from earlier-generation-judgement-mindset by massive leaps and bounds. Relativity, I suppose. I'm not a perfect person.

She gave me quite the tongue lashing.

Left angry at me this morning.

Daya stays angry forever so I'm basically a condemned person now.

Purchase & The Painting of Bad Decisions

Purchase

Today Daya had her final college audition- not that there have been many- up at SUNY Purchase.

Purchase has an excellent dance program, it's close to the city, and I can afford it (I qualify for some NY program I forgot the name of for full tuition reimbursement).

Anyhow this is Daya's "safe" school.

She only applied to three places:

USC

Juilliard

Purchase

Daya doesn't want to go anywhere, and she doesn't like anything.

Her options are already really limited for what she wants to do.

So we'll see.

I have concern about it and at the same time no concern at all, which is a really weird state to be in.

So anyhow we went to Purchase and the trip up there was not a big deal.

Metro-North goes up to White Plains, then it's a 15 minute cab or bus ride from there.

I like Grand Central, always have.

We had some trouble finding the dance building.

It was not here.

We walked around, and it was a good thing we were early.

It's not a fancy campus but that's ok.

I am told it's a lot nicer in the Spring.

Because it's kind of in the middle of nowhere, it's pretty quiet.

I don't know if they are on a break or something up there (???) but the campus was DEAD.

Even Pratt is more lively on the weekends, except during a break.

Purchase was DEAD.

We got to the dance building at 8:30 and registered early.

We were supposed to be there at 9, but it is better to be early because you do your solo/interview early and then you can leave early.

This was their last day of auditions and it was pretty packed.

(They accept about 45 people.)

The department head person came to talk to parents at 10 for a half hour, the audition started at 10:30 and went til 1. Then they did cuts.

It's a no-brainer that Daya didn't get cut.

Then they move on to solos and interviews.

Daya was 4th and done by 2:30.

She doesn't like Purchase.

She says their standards are mediocre.****

Everyone from LaGuardia gets in, and that's another reason she really doesn't want to go.

She has friends at LaG, but there are also people she doesn't like and I guess she would be with them at Purchase if she went, and she's not thrilled about that.

I get it.

It's understandable.

The dance world is very small and there will likely be LaGuardia people everywhere she goes but I can see why it would be more of an issue at Purchase, if she's there with several people she knows and doesn't care for.

(I don't know why she doesn't like these people, she said nothing happened but won't tell me any more.)

**** I do not know if their standards are really mediocre, it really is a great program. I do trust Daya's discernment in all things dance, however she's such a precise exact demanding person when it comes to technique.

In dance Daya's standards are over-the-top excellence, and she doesn't have tolerance for anything less. But that's also what makes her a great artist. It's because of that level of exactness, rigor, and fervor that I think Juilliard is truly her place. And maybe in a place like that she'll also learn the more abstract balance of loosening up a little. The right level of loose combined with incredible technique equals brilliance.

There are a lot of painting parallels here but I won't go into it.

FWIW she said some of the people at the Juilliard callback were people she knows from social media, and I guess they are pretty big online.  And she was surprised to see that even though they did a lot of fancy moves on video, their ballet technique really wasn't that good.

*********

If Purchase turns out to be her only viable choice we'll have to really talk about next steps.

She needs to go.... somewhere.... after high school, but I'm also not going to force her to go somewhere she really doesn't want to be, as much as it might seem to be a good thing.

*************

The Painting of Bad Decisions

While Daya was in dance I ventured out to paint.

I didn't want to go too far from the dance building because I didn't know my time limit (and also because I didn't want to get lost).

Bad Decision 1: The View

I thought it would be a Great! idea! to do some perspective and architecture for a change.

And I had all those nice Hopper paintings in my head.

Bad Decision 2: The Palette

I decided to run the Zorn palette plus turquoise.

This palette has never once let me down and it is also a time-saver.

I do think this painting would have worked with Zorn + Turquoise but I did not get it working properly.

Honestly I just shouldn't have painted this stupid view.

It's a bummer of a painting, I toiled for 3 1/2 hours on it, but you can never escape a faulty composition plus a few (fixable but I won't afterwards) drawing issues.

I DID figure out the comp intentionally before I started but it just didn't work.

The lighting kept changing pretty dramatically.

There's nothing like a flop painting to make an artist feel crappy.

Well, I did learn some things, I did go for a challenge instead of something easy, and the reality is that it is a VERY difficult painting especially for an 8x10.

I just kept thinking of how David and Thor would probably just knock it out perfectly. :/

Edward Hopper at The Whitney

Tonight I went with a couple of my boathouse friends to see the Edward Hopper show at The Whitney.

I can't believe I waited so long, and it closes this weekend.

It was PACKED.

Everyone coming just to see paintings.

That makes me happy.

Anyone who says painting is dead is wrong..... people are coming out in droves to see paintings!

Isn't that wonderful?

I photographed pretty much the whole show.

My pic of the intro blurb at the beginning didn't come out... oh well.

The colors and.... well, all paintings in general, are better in person.

The show was fantastic.

Enjoy.

Pictures from the roof garden....