I'm often asked about my painting surfaces so I thought I'd share what things look like underneath the paint.This week I've been thinking of painting boats. I just returned from a quick trip to Saint Simons Island so maybe the sand and sea insired me. I'm invisiioning some soliltary canoes and rowboats on still water. When I paint still water I always imagine it as symbolic of the unconcious and spiritual depths that are unexplored, unchartered, and unknown but still teaming with life and wisdom waiting to teach me if I'll just dive in.
Last week I headed to Home Depot and snagging one of the guys to cut a couple of 4x8' sheets of luan (big thin sheets of wood) on their wall saw. Willie and the gang there have been patiently helping me for years though I suspect they hide when they see me coming because my cuts are always a pain in the neck.
I then spent a couple of days in my workshop building wood boxes. It's a physical proccess requiring very little creativity but it's freeing to get in there with the power tools, loud aircompressor, sawdust and sweat. The photo above represents two days of box building and what my fresco and encaustic paintings look like under the surface. Maybe while I'm painting boats this week I'll try paying attention to what's going on below my surface.