1:40 PM: i began another creek scroll painting this morning. i wasn't quite in my groove and it became way too busy. i was about to declare it a failure when i had an idea: save the most interesting part; a strip measuring 12 cm. in width, out of the 35 cm. of the full painting. i went back in and added a few necessary compositional elements and i think i may have saved it. as usual, i'll know once i bring it back to the house & put it up on the wall.
painting on this feather weight japanese paper in gouache is a bit like working in watercolor. you have to be in your groove, and get it right with every brush stroke. of course i could blame today on my still blurry vision in my right eye. but i won't go there. you have good days and bad days.
just now i discovered that ny central supply, where i found this japanes paper some years ago, is no more. it was the oldest art supply store in the country. arguably, they had the finest and most diverse collection of paper from around the world : over 3,000 varieties of paper!
steve steinberg, grandson of the founder, who was a russian jewish immigrant, was a beautiful man who had amazing energy and a passion for art and art supplies. his clients included andy warhol, jim dine, rosenquist....
BELOW right: 1-31-17 creek scroll before being made skinny. and on row 2, steve steinberg in his store, on the right, and a look at his amazing paper department on the left
