Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Calla Spiral - and Another Lily, Too!

Calla Spiral
Oil on canvas, 12x12

I don't often make paintings like this one, but I was hunting around for photos of lilies, and saw one that focused on the beautiful, brilliant twirl of a vivid calla lily. I just loved the feeling of the photo, of diving deep into color and motion, and that's what brought me to this painting. 

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I AM GETTING more and more excited about my upcoming painting trip to Arizona. I'm leaving Virginia Jan. 24, and heading for Tubac, AZ, where my dad and stepmother live. I'll visit with them, participate in the Tubac Festival of the Arts, with my friend Cynthia Battista, an amazing, creative jeweler. 

In mid-Feburary, I'll leave Tubac and head for the Navajo reservation in the northeast corner of Arizona. I was born there, while my dad was in the Civil Service, and that landscape is what my eyes first saw. The rich colors, the bold and monumental shapes, the huge open sky, these formed the background of the first months of my life. I know that what I focused on were my parents and Sam, my first dog - but this land was around me, informing my vision and my outlook. 

On this trip, I want to find the resonances. Find the echoes of those first sights, find the landscapes that make my heart sing - and see what I can understand about those connections over time and space. 


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My friend Nancy Russell stopped by for a visit on her way from Virginia Beach to Niantic, CT! It was great to see her, and have some time to spend chatting. Any time you're on the Eastern Shore, please stop in to our home and studio, here in Wachapreague. 

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Dog of the Day
It seems only fitting that on a day with a painting of lilies that Lily is the dog of the day! She belongs to Jim Smedley and his wife, who live in Lewiston, Maine, a very cold place. I'd be warmed every day by this sweet face, wouldn't you? 
Want your pet to be the DOD? Send a jpg to me at carrieBjacobson@gmail.com

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