terrible blogger I am

It has been a long while since I've been online, but not because I haven't been painting. Precisely the opposite…because I have been painting, a lot, on one piece. It's taken over my studio and schedule but I'm enjoying the process (with a few whimpers of despair every so often). It's 4 x 6 feet (yes, I said feet) so I'm standing on chairs, sitting on the floor, painting with my head tilted sideways…it's a yoga workout as well as art making.

Here's a pic of it in progress…I've got a few more weeks to go on it.

My sister in law saw it this weekend and immediately asked me what her name was. I had no answer but immediately felt guilty that she had none. I have spent over a month with her and we haven't had that conversation yet. What does that mean? By now we should know that much about each other, right? Any suggestions?

This piece has been interesting for me because I'm using colors I rarely use. A lot of purple and grays. I can't remember the name of the purple I bought for this piece but it is a firecracker of a color. The pigment is so rich and potent. I love it. I'm too lazy to go up a flight of stairs to find out the exact color. But I love it.

And on another note, I achieved a huge accomplishment…I finished A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. I started it last Christmas. I think it's the densest book I've ever read. But from the first chapter it had me completely enthralled, enraged, surprised, motivated…the list goes on. I don't think any other book has affected me so much. It's a good read and I recommend everyone read it, whether you're a Zinn fan or not.

And as a treat, 2 goodies in one pic:

photo from http://www.taringa.net