birds enter “still life with refugees” / crestone get together / a fayum study i made in the British museum / painting of a drummer /  by Philip Tarlow

still life with refugees 42x42” as it looked moments ago with the appearance of two colorful birds.

i resumed work this morning on still life with refugees, which has undergone many transformations. the latest is the appearance of birds. thus far there are two, but more may be flying in…we can’t tell…

a few nights ago about 25 crestonites, all over 60, got together at the home of a dear friend to celebrate some of our may birthdays. we had dinner, caught up on news and then sat down with an excellent guitar & harmonica player and sang. it was beautiful, and brought tears to my eyes. here’s a short video clip.

BELOW: study in oil on board of a fayum portrait i made on site, at the British Museum in London, with generous support from the Director.

study of a fayum portrait i made in the British Museum, London, which now hangs in our house

TARLOW: drummer, oil on linen, 80x35” hanging in our living room

RIGHT: painting of a drummer in oil on linen, hanging in our living room

VYD ZVERKHOU II and STILL LIFE WITH REFUGEES, are both greyed, then UNGREYED /  by Philip Tarlow

still life with refugees un-greyed 42x42”

vyd zverkhou un-greyed

6:54 PM: i decided to un-grey both of them. too dark.

VYD ZVERKHOU II after having been greyed over this morning.

12:29 PM: this morning i mixed up grey oils and painted them over about 80% of vyd zverkhou II. and then i painted 7 letters of the ukrainian alphabet, in caps, into the still wet grey. it gave the painting a new identity, and it’s as if the ukrainian letters are announcing it. the figures of the guitar player and the drummer are prominant., and little bits of pink and blue peek through from the pre-greyed composition.

still life with refugees 42x42” oil & collage on linen after being greyed over this morning

as well, i broght the newly stretched sill life with refugees back form the house, where we’d been evaluating it for the past few days. my eye bounced around like a ping pong ball whenever i glanced at it.

the figures of the skateboarding girl and the walking plaid shirted guy now transmit an entirely different energy. and the ukrainian letters have appeared in this one as well. it’s hard to describe what they add to the entire composition, but it works.

"VYD ZVERKHU LL" flipped /  by Philip Tarlow

VYD ZVERKHOU II " flipped this morning adjested moments ago, at 4:30pm

1:03 PM: when i entered my studio this morning on a cloudy, cold rainy morning and cast my first glance at the two new paintings i’ve been making over the past few days, i was bored. not good.

so, having had an excellent sleep last night and full of contrarian (is this a word?) playfulness, i flipped VYD ZVERKHOU I 360° and began painting into it, using a few of my musician photos as guides, and my paper towels as blotters and subtle mark makers.

BIRTHDAYS a group of about 25 of us who have mid-may birthdays are gathering at af friend’s home for a dinner/celebration this evening, so that should be fun.

vyd zverkhu i and ii /  by Philip Tarlow

vyd zverkhu I as it looked following todays session

vyd zverkhu II following todays work

2:31 pm: today i continued work on both VYD ZVERKHU I & II. it’s always helpful for me to go back & forth, so that discoveries i make on one can migrate to the other. thusfar, that’s especially true, for these two, which now look like brother & sister.

vyd zverkhu II / A PAINTING BY MY 2 YEAR OLD GRAND DAUGHTER IN ATHENS /  by Philip Tarlow

vyd zverkhu ii 24x28” oil on linen, as she looked at the end of my painting day today

2:55 PM: after starting the drawing for VYD ZVERKHU II yesterday, i began introducing color to the drummer this afternoon. it’s too early to get a sense of the composition as a whole, but the drawing, in grey pencil, will give you a hint.

i’m still unsure about vyd zverkhu i and whether to leave her as is or continue working. that’s one of the great advantages of starting a new one; it allows me to continue assesing and perhaps be influenced by discovieries i may make in this new one.

as matisse said, let the painting tell you where it wants to go. (i’m paraphrasing)

my son dimitri sent me this photo of a painting made by my 2 year old grand daughter in the benaki museum, where they provide kids with painting materials, smocks, etc.

VYD ZVERKHU /  by Philip Tarlow

1:17 PM: VYD ZVERKHU is ukranian for view from above, which is the title of my new series of 24x28” paintings in oil on linen, which i started today. (VYD is pronounced voéet) so this is VYD ZVERKHOU 1.

"celebration XII" 16x20"-modifications /  by Philip Tarlow

celebration XII , 16x20” following the changes i made earlier today

1:10 PM: celebration XII was last worked on this past march 29. this morning, in reviewing the series of 16x20” paintings i made during that period, we both felt that this one needed more work. so i worked back into it earlier today.

BELOW: celebration XII before (left) and after todays modifications

un-pinking "still life with refugees" /  by Philip Tarlow

3 PM: so that’s it for today. it started out as a clear and beautiful morning and now the sky is thretening and the wind is gusting to 45mph! i did more to still life with refugees this afternoon and i’m ready to stop. it’s getting richer and juicier, but it ain’t there yet. i’m glad iun-pinkified much of the composition…i’ll have to see how she strikes me in the morning when i’m fresh.

1:03 PM: that pink was just too pervasive, so i’m re-working the painting using some of my creek photos and introducing water, ripples and reflections and tree branches. here’s how she looked moments ago. still painting…

collaging still life with refugees /  by Philip Tarlow

still life with refugees 42x42” oil and collage on linen as it looked following todays collaging

3:01 PM: today was collaging day. i took a roll of white drawing paper, made some drawings in black peppered here & there with color, and collaged some of them onto the surface of the painting. it’s tricky to get all the air bubbles out, but i think i did a pretty good job.

my vision was to open the space, eliminate some of the pinks, which i was inspired to do after gazing this morning at one of my more successful paintings hanging in our entryway.

BELOW: before (left) and after todays collaging