Woodshop by the lake
I use my small backyard shed as my woodshop. I would rather do my carpentry in that cramped space than have the sawdust from my table saw in the studio. Even modest carpentry jobs like…
Category: Turpentine diaries
New series
I am embarking on a new series: Amusement Park. After my last visit to Cedar Point, I've amassed 1500 photos. I bought a season pass and intend many more visits. Amusement Park joins my two…
It’s all been done before
Yesterday, I determined to finish Woman in White-stripped Dress. Even though I failed, I was excited to get back at it again today. This afternoon, I ran out of gas before finishing it. Oh well.…
Smooth is best
Rereading what I wrote about preparing a canvas, I realized that I didn't emphasize the main goal enough. Yes, it's important to protect the canvas, but the real goal is to make a great surface.…
Family mystery
My great-grandfather Ramey had a fierce personality. Even in his 90's, he had no time for nonsense, epically from unruly children such as me. My grandmother ascribed her father's fierceness to his harsh childhood. Orphaned…
Ragged easel
My Utrecht easel has served me well. True, it's held together with glue and clamps, but it still handles the large-size paintings that I make. One thing the easel lacks is a place to rest…
Who needs culture anyway?
One of the biggest shocks of my life and one of my biggest disappointments occurred when I went to France for the first time in 1993. France! home of great artists--David, Delacroix, the angelic Ingres,…
