Studio flooding

I’m sorry I haven’t posted in a while. My basement studio flooded a few weeks ago, bringing most of my art production to a screeching halt. We’ve gotten estimates for repair work and hope to get it going in earnest this week. In theory, I can still get outside to paint plein air, but it’s been mostly too hot to do so, and (more importantly) with Covid-19 I don’t feel comfortable going to my usual scenic haunts to paint. I’ve also had a death in the family, and I’ve been preoccupied with dealing with the estate.

The good news is that I’m still drawing almost every day, and I’ve done some watercolor and gouache painting too. I’ve also been reading and writing more, which is fun. Plus the virus has brought more frequent Zoom conversations with family and friends, a big silver lining. And I actually love being home and cocooning; I’m a homebody at heart. So things are good. I’ll keep you posted on studio repairs. Stay safe!

Hiding behind the trees

The pandemic is upon us, and plein air painting has to bend to the needs of the day. In my case, this means painting a lot of things while standing on my driveway or front lawn, where no onlookers come peek over my shoulder. Fortunately, our cherry blossoms are about to bloom, so I should have some good subject matter. In fact, my little cherry tree is already blooming. I may paint it tomorrow.

For the last couple days, though I focused on our neighbor’s house, which is shrouded in trees. Our neighbors are wonderful social people, but the building itself seems to be hiding behind the foliage, as if distancing itself from the virus.

Geoff Watson, “Hiding behind the trees,” oil on linen panel, 12” x 16.”