Thursday, November 5, 2009

If You Paint It They Will Come

Fox Trot

Who will come? The Little People. The Big People. The Fairies. The Ideas. That's right, often I don't know what I'm painting, until it's done. We were taking ballroom dance classes when I painted Fox Trot, and it reminded me of the dance and people on the dance floor.

Going With The Flow

When I paint abstracts, they are just that. I play with paint, or experiment, or try hard to capture an idea or mood. And sometimes it's simply screwing around. But the paintings go back into the pile unless they come alive. They are "exquisite corpses" which I come back and back to, tweaking, dab here, stroke there.

Mt. Doom Meet Frodo

I was thinking lava, when painting this. I had been on the Big Island of Hawaii. But this small painting sat on the pile for years, until I saw the ring shape. Then I foodled around with it and Voila! Frodo is taking the ring of power to destroy it in the Cracks of Doom.

In Other Words

I paint, therefore I am. I breathe, therefore I am. I eat Susi's pumpkin waffles, therefore I am happy. Yum! Mma Ramotswe frequently cooks and eats pumpkin. (From McCall Smith's delightful The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency).

Why Yes

This last one I called, Tomorrow Becoming Today. Which it has.


13 comments:

steven said...

richard jesse watson!! "exquisite corpses" - now there's an intriguing art reference from the past . . . . cool!!! steven

Amanda said...

Love foxtrot, lots of great movement in there.

Martha Brockenbrough said...

We want Susi's pumpkin waffles recipe!

Love,
The Taters

Anonymous said...

Hi Taters~ Here is our recipe for pumpkin waffles. You're not squeamish about eating cousins, are you? You start with a small sugar pumpkin-- just down the patch from you--next to the green beans.

Cut the pumpkin in half and take out the seeds and fibrous insides. Roast the pumpkin in the oven at 400 degrees for twenty to thirty minutes, or until tender. As it cools, pull off the peel (it usually pulls off easily, if not, use a paring knife). Put the pumpkin flesh in a bowl, mash it with a (dare I say?) potato masher, and set aside.

You might like toasting some pumpkin and sunflower seeds in the oven while your pumpkin cooks, although these will be ready in about 5 to 10 minutes. You'll need to check often to prevent burning.

Sift 3 cups flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt into large mixing bowl.

In a double boiler on medium heat, melt 3/4 cup butter. Take off the heat when melted and let cool, slightly.

Separate 5 large eggs, putting the egg whites in one medium sized mixing bowl, and the egg yolks into another mixing bowl (large). Whip the yolks with a whisk. Add 2 1/2 cups yogurt or buttermilk to the egg yolks and mix together until blended. Then slowly add the melted butter, a little at a time. Next add 1 cup mashed pumpkin and mix thoroughly.

Add the bowl of dry ingredients (flour, etc) to the mixture of egg yolks, milk, butter,and pumpkin. Blend lightly.

Take the bowl of egg whites and beat them with an electric mixer, until they form soft peaks. Then gently fold the egg whites into the batter, mixing lightly.

Heat a waffle iron, brush with oil, and spoon in about 1/4 cup batter for each waffle. Serve with a little butter and maple syrup, and sprinkle toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds on top.

This recipe should make enough waffles to serve around the vegetable patch. Although, we triple this recipe when the entire Watson clan comes for breakfast.

Enjoy! ~Susi

Ruthie Redden said...

great expressive works, i love the idea of being able to be totally free & let go, something i struggle with! nedd to don my "smock" and play. i really love "fox trot" it has a klimt quality about it . Caught extra sun beams this week, they worked their magic. thanks for the comment re my collie, funny that, he was a real quickie (one of very few) doodle! mm think i have a lesson to learn there somewhere ;-) *ruthie

Richard Jesse Watson said...

Thanks, Steven. As you know, in the "exquisite corpse" excercise, you pass a work from one creative person to another and each adds their touch. In this case I messed with the art then put it away sometimes for years. Then I would find it again, and I was as though a different person, so I took it up fresh and added a fresh touch, and so on...

Amanda, I like FT too. And I liked the pics of your kiddos playing in the water. Must have been hot there.

Thanks, Martha recipe above.

Thank you Ruthie, I am sure that Klimt found his unique style by doing just that, playing and letting go. Here's to quicky doodles!

steven said...

richard - i so know it and i love that you twisted that whole piece and made it work for you!!! i look at old paintings of mine and alternately shudder and wonder "where did i find the time for that?" artwork will return to my life shortly - glass this time. steven

jesse joshua watson said...

good stuff, pops.

Kat_RN said...

Pumpkin waffles, sounds like a treat. We had pumpkin pudding for dessert. It is nice to hear how your muse works.
Kat

tlchang said...

I love your abstracts Richard. Very energetic feeling - so much pattern and fun color combinations. I really really need some down time to 'play' without any representational outcome required. Feeling inspired (although current deadlines will probably still put it off until after the first of the year).

Susi - the pumpkin recipe sounds awesome! I have very very fond memories of your kitchen and cooking....

(I have missed visiting blogs. Your walking posts are fabulous - one can always find interesting things to see when one looks, but I'll wager my neighborhood points-of-interest will not come close to the wonders of yours!)

Richard Jesse Watson said...

Steven, I am really looking forward to seeing more of your art.

Thanks, J.

Kat, pumpkin pudding sound like comfort food for sure. We had pumpkin custard last night. Similar?

Thanks, Tara. I like the way you put that: "play without any representational outcome required". It does allow for flow and surprises.

Anonymous said...

It's a pity I used the last of my pumpkin making teabread. I love McCall Smith too! He is a fellow 'Burgher (but I've never spotted him) and responsible for kick starting my love of Rooibos tea.

It'd be strange, a group of 69-75 year olds coming back to see their trees that will still be young. Maybe I'll have forgotten by then. We planted some in a circle; as one of my friends put it, the faeries are suffering habitat loss too.

Richard Jesse Watson said...

Well, Kitty, pumpkin teabread sounds perfect. Someone should do a thesis on faerie habitat loss. Maybe I will. Your tree will be young for a while. Earth's oldest inhabitant (so far as we know, yet) is 4767 years old. The Bristlecone Pine chills out in the White-Inyo mountain range of California. Maybe we sould listen to what "Methuselah" has to say.