Middle November

I am continuing to work the Hello Stranger series after pausing to document it at midpoint. In this lapse of time I did create a new painting. I was pleased to learn that a few of my classmates liked the blue Hello Stranger painting, so I was very motivated to create another blue painting. I wanted this to be a tonal study where ghostly whispers of optical colour meet with fuzzy edges that seemed to move. I titled it Requiem. During the process it manifested itself. I did think often upon what Sean Scully described as "studied casualness". I also wanted the left and right margin edges to increase in activity and saturation like a Jackson Pollock abstract painting. I like it. I hope you do too. John

Early November

Documenting the Hello Stranger series. Professor Clayton was helpful as always with setting up lighting for photography. Our studio is full of beautiful natural light, but whenever I photograph my work with the expensive lights I seem to struggle to capture the colour and eliminate the glare. I will persevere and perhaps bring my Nikon SLR up to shoot slides just in case it's a digital issue. John

Later October

I am gradually taking the background down to a strict black using alternating layers of violets, blues, and crimsons. I am at the same time increasing the saturation and varying the tone of my foreground.

Early October 2009

I am pleased to say that things seem to be coming together. I find that after some initial doubt that I am finally committing to this series. I think that the yellows will be very challenging. We will see.

September 2009

Willem de Kooning once said that one must change to stay the same. I'm doing something new. I could explain my thinking, but sometimes I think that painters talk too much about their work. Let's hope the series turns out to be something. Thanks for your support, John

Post Final Critique

Well the Spring semester is complete. It has been for me, an unprecedented period of achievement in which my objective was to build upon the new direction of my work begun last semester along with establishing what seems to me to be a somewhat individual style and technique. I believe the cornerstone has been established for constructing a real artist statement grounded in ancient symbology representing spiritual wholeness. Much on this has been written by Carl Jung. I hope that you enjoy my paintings. Here is a improvised studio picture under natural light which is much too harsh. These paintings were created to live in a world of candlelight, at the very least a room with a dimmer control.

Friday Night

Evaluating the semester's work and determining just how much work still needs to be done before the final critique.