Crayons and cahiers.

America's Got Ennui.

Not even Hasselhoff can save summer television programming.

Marcia.

Finished product.

I didn't quite make it to my time goal, but I figured artificially bloating the time spent is a pointless practice. It's done when it's done. I'm very happy with the result. Marcia always seems to bring out the best in me.

Acrylics, ink, and watercolor on canvas, 16 in x 12 in.

Painting again.

With my basement nearing completion, I've found time again (by procrastinating on other things) to begin painting once more. I uncovered some old canvases to reuse, so this is the first one. I have three goals for this painting:

1. Take my time. Most of my pieces up to now have been done within two hours. This one I'd like to get to ten hours. I think I could build up a lot better texture if I just stuck with one painting far longer than feels natural. So far I've spent three hours on this one, and fun things are already starting to happen.

2. Get intuitive. I've been obsessed with trying to find the right process in the past; this has led to some very stale work. I doubt I could even keep track of my process with so much work going into this, but hopefully some vitality and freshness will peek out in the end product. I'm also not worrying too much about colors. Whatever feels right is what I'll use. In the past I've been afraid of ending up with every color imaginable in the same painting. But you know what? Van Gogh used a ton of colors too, and yet his paintings have definite color tones. (Yes, I'm comparing myself to him. No, I don't feel bad about it.)

3. Be accurate. If this ends up looking up somewhat like my wife (so far so good), all the better.

Saturday

I always forget what I did on the weekend by the time Monday morning rolls around. Hopefully this will help. I'm still hearting the crap out of the Rose Art watercolors. They're even better with a decent brush.

----------------
Now playing: Belle & Sebastian - It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career

Sleeping

The birthday post.

Here's a recap of my weekend:

Friday: Golfing at Cherokee Ridge's par-3 course. Had a couple pars, shot 39 (it was my first time out this year, lay off). That is a rinky-dink course though. It boasted holes of 88 and 92 yards. Monsters. Went out to Saltgrass Steak House for dinner. Had the 12-ounce prime rib, steak fries, and chicken tortilla soup. The soup didn't hold a candle to Marcia's recipe, but the steak was pretty good. Bumped into Kate and Thom there. They're our "bumping into in restaurants" buddies.

Saturday: Breakfast at IHOP, eggs benedict which were wonderful. Marcia kept pointing out every cute little kid in the restaurant. I think my parents will start to suspect things. Visited Golden. If you enjoy photography or biking, that's your town. Headed up Lookout Mountain to see the Buffalo Bill museum and gravesite. Managed not to run down any bicyclists on the way up, there were at least 50. Went to Blackhawk and Central City looking for gold mine tours, settled for a casino buffet instead (I think it was the Isle of Capri). Got back to Colorado Springs and schooled my parents in 500, 3 games to 2.

Sunday: Danny Oertli led worship at church. That guy's everywhere. Hardest working man in Front Range Evangelical show business? Brunch at the Broadmoor, my first 5-star dining experience ever. Felt extra-compelled to cram as much down my gullet as possible. It was all very very delicious. Weirdly, a girl from Marcia's Bible study was our waitress. Watched "Stranger Than Fiction" (birthday present, LOVE that movie), went to Bear Creek dog park. Marcia made an apple pie from scratch. I love that woman. Bless her soul. More 500, won again 3 games to 2.

I ate so much. I'm still full. Help.