Meta-painting...

Someone once told me that bloggers who blog about blogging are meta-blogging. I'm borrowing that term to describe my process of re-painting The Poplar Line in an alternate style. So to me, it's a painting about painting.

Poplar Jazz, 24 x 24, acrylic on deep cradle panel

Though this version (below) eventually grew on me, I needed a more expressionistic version - more about color and movement - and, well, - paint.

The Classical Poplar Line

And because the gallery was organizing a show themed Music, Music, Music, I titled them to suit: The Classical Poplar Line and Poplar Jazz.
This is how they are hung in the show - with Changes Coming above. I like how the placement of Changes Coming above and "behind" the others works with its view of the poplars off in the distance. Kinda surreal.

Sometimes I feel so close to something I make or paint, that I don't want to part with it. That was true of this painted chair harp. This actually was the first one I did a few months ago. I needed something to trade at an artists' gift exchange so I did this quickly the day of the event, wrapped it and watched it go to someone who clearly was less than thrilled. I was miffed as I'd like to have kept it. I later learned the recipient thought the imagery disturbing to her fundamentalist beliefs. (!!!???) Another artist (unbeknownst to me at the time) -

loved it so much that she proposed to custom-make and trade one of her fabulous stained glass pieces for this one. I recently attended an all-girl poker party at her house and voila! - there was Crow Madam hanging on the wall! I apologize for the quality of the photos - after all, it was a party!

It meant a great deal to me for someone to appreciate and want something I made enough to go to so much trouble. It means even more that a piece I feel so connected to resides with someone I like and admire - and who appreciates the work.