So this is done.

Space Rabbit Ranch, oil on canvas, 16 x 20 inches.

It only took a month!

I had allocated three weeks for these abstract landscapes, so that’s a bit disconcerting. The last one took a month also, but I thought that the next ones would only take three weeks since I went through a lot of problems with the first. This one just had a lot more detail than the first. Maybe some won’t have as much detail and some will. We’ll see if I’ll be able to make up some time.

Meanwhile, I changed, or rather, tweaked this one:

Not the greatest photograph, but it’s different now. It’s better. You may not notice what’s different, but I do.

Okay here, I’ll give you a side by side comparison.

Are you happy now? Or can you still not tell? Little changes can make a big difference.

I’ll tell you what else makes a big difference: titles.

Titles make a huge difference and I am realizing this as I am making abstracts that are based somewhat in reality. I’ve never had such a hard time with titles before. I mean, sometimes I go a long time thinking about what to name something and searching for that perfect title, but I know in my heart of hearts what I’m basically looking for. Not so with these!

I am so stuck on my working titles that I have a hard time getting objective enough to title them once I’m through with them.

So I think the above piece is going to be called, Quarters. Either that or I was going to name it, For the Keeper, which now I think is dumb. I think I’ll stick with Quarters. What do you think? I am so open to suggestions.

I want it to just read as a composition, not what the thing really is/was. It was the last quarters built on the Doggie Trail property in Joshua Tree that is essentially the “factotum” house, or the groundskeeper’s place. The building was a lot different than the other ones because it was newer, but it was still very unique. It’s hard for me to see this composition any other way than the side of the house with all the rock formations next to it.

Some people saw pillows. Some people saw fish. Mjp saw a parrot box. But I’m not going to name it “Parrot Box.”

Okay, so tomorrow. Tomorrow I am going to start on the underpainting of the next abstract landscape, and also see if I can lay down the paper shapes for the next collage on wood.

When I start out my collage pieces, I cut out the shapes I want in the manila pattern paper, then I stick em on the panels before I paint on them. I’ll also use some of the paper shapes as patters for fabric cut-outs, even though I’m still on the fence about even using fabric. I want to, but I wonder about whether or not it’s cheesy.

However, usually when I think something is “dumb,” “stupid,” or “cheesy,” I feel I must do it. Ha!

So I guess I have my answer.

So again, thank you very much for being such a huge help to me. You guys are really useful lately.

See you on the flippity flop!