Right now, our son, David, is amusing himself rather quietly for once, Jane is out on an errand and work for about an hour or two, and I am contemplating a blank, white, 36″x48″ pre-stretched canvas on my easel. No inspiration nor idea yet, but I know something will come to me. I’m thinking of portraying Kali, Goddess of Destruction in Hinduism, who is traditionally black, or Hanuman, the Monkey God, who is often portrayed as blue. These periods of not-quite-knowing can be frustrating and challenging, but usually result in a good painting.
Of course, I stay open to inspiration that is more “out there.” Some of my ideas are visual and cannot easily be explained in the beginning of a painting, in words. I actually receive the whole, finished image, as if it were transluscent and floating in front of my eyes. I call my projects “Experiments,” because I try a little different principle or composition in each painting. Often, I think some paintings of mine don’t even look as if they’re from the same artist! But through it all, the power of “the vibes” propels me toward new ideas, images and work.
