Painting with Jim

I dreamed I was getting a crit fom Jim Innes on two recent paintings. This new work exists, so far, only in the Land of Nod – they've yet to make the leap into Realityville .

Two of them – a dyptych really – were six feet tall by 18” wide. The top 3/4s were abstract with a Jackson Pollack/Rothko-ish feel. Connected by a wood bridge was the final fourth. In one, a woman with an apprehensive expression looks out from behind a shade. On the other, the woman is on her side – a glowing light bulb is in her mouth.

What’s it mean? Beats all hell outta me but I think maybe I should paint it. Possibly in gouache and crayon on paper.

The next painting was of five or six people, nude adults, all running, willy nilly, back and forth across an otherwise empty-ish canvas. Frenzied chaos is the feel I got.

What’s this one mean? I expect this is an illustration of the interior of my old bean.

Back to my crit though – Jim was happy with my work which, naturally, thrilled me down to the atomic level.

I did get the feeling, after seeing his retrospective that Jim would be happy with my painterly progress over the years. Yeah, I’m feeling some atomic blitheness over that.

Painting is the silence of thought and the music of sight.
~ Orhan Pamuk, My Name is Red

I don't paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality.
~ Frida Kahlo

Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.
~ Pablo Picasso

If you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint.
~ Edward Hopper