illusory city, stage 3, 42 x 48” oil, crayon & colored pencil on linen
1:43 PM: we had a couple of inches of fresh snow last night, with a very overcast, threatening sky this morning. the sun has finally broken through, heating our passive solar house to over 90 F, making it necessary to open some windows despite the temperatures hovering just above freezing.
ALLEE WILLIS, 1947-2019
i’m still recovering from the flu, which was lighter than normal because we both got the flu shot, but still took a lot out of me. and my shoulder, although it’s getting better, still requires that I take it easy & don’y over-use it. so I decided to come to the studio for only a couple of hours & do whatever I could in that time frame.
in addition, I was delayed this morning when we learned of the sudden death, from a heart attack yesterday afternoon, of an old friend, very well known in the music industry: the great ALLEE WILLIS. if you read about her, you’ll quickly understand she was a totally unique being, who once said, when being interviewed, “my favorite form of art is creating parties.” we’re fortunate to have been to a couple, at her home in LA. she couldn’t read music, but that didn’t stop her from becoming one of our greatest song writers.
perhaps best known for having written the friends theme song, being co-writer of the music for the color purple, as well as having written earth, wind & fire’s September. she won 2 Grammys for Beverly Hills cop & September. Allee was a total delight to be around, very funny and very warm. we’re still in shock.
so limiting myself to just 2 hours of work today seems to have worked out. just when my shoulder started hurting & I began feeling that flu-ey achyness & chills, I stopped to shoot photos & post this.
I love painting on holidays like xmas. it’s like you know nobody is going to bother you or interrupt your process.
BELOW are 6 details from illusory city:
