abstract painting by emily weil

daily painting | class demo abstract

I was photographing this painting today and as I edited it to clean up the image in Photoshop I realized it’s kind of a big penis in a salad bowl. Oh well. The unconscious mind at work again.
I was doing this class demo in today’s watercolor workshop I taught, showing different kinds of paper (smooth vs. textured). Then as my marvelous students beavered away on their paintings with great dedication I fooled around a bit more on the composition.
I LOVED teaching the workshop today. A welcome break from brother-care; pursuing my art passions keeps my feet on the ground. One of my lovely students professionally designed commercial displays and many of us have enjoyed his brilliant creations in the Gump’s and Macy’s windows in San Francisco. Another student, amazingly, works for a traffic engineering group for which I worked in the 1980s when in art college; I did admin work for the small office and now the company employs 300+ employees. The founders of that company were very kind to me, and in off hours sometimes let me work on class assignments on their office computers. I’m thrilled at their success.
And life goes on, and isn’t it amazing? Queens leave the planet and kings rise to rule. Enjoyed my day — as I express myself in the arts, at the same time various friends and family members and I support our dear brother as he considers MAID — Medical Aid in Dying; he is experiencing his demise from brain cancer. He reflects often on his life — yesterday he learned that the Mosquito Fire in the Sierra foothills consumed his previous home and ranch where he lived with his first wife — we went outside to enjoy the gardens at his nursing facility yesterday and the smoke was in the air and he pondered if he was inhaling his burnt-up house.

8″ x 7″ ink, watercolor, pastel on paper

 

 

 

red wine, oil pastel, ink and pencil abstract painting by emily weil

daily painting | fermented art

So my brother likes red wine and I’m the supplier. He doesn’t drink much, so the wine sits and spoils in the bottle (I’m trying a new stopper that may help make it last longer). I brought the half bottles home from his nursing home and decided to get out some paper and splash the leftover Syrah around and see if it’s a viable medium. What a hoot! Layers and layers of winey pigments on this piece, to which I added oil pastels and ink and pencil and all kinds of stuff. Took days of adding and dripping and drying and experimenting and today with Van Morrison serenading me in my headphones, and the boat slightly rocking in the breezy estuary, and the sparkles of watery reflections dancing on my ceiling — well it’s a marvelous and peaceful and very pleasant day. Sweet and welcome few hours of rest. 

The Big Bro we hope will move to a nicer nursing home in a few weeks. His brain cancer is clearly advancing as he is getting more wobbly and confused and tired, but he’s still great company and I enjoy being with him. How fortunate I am to have these rich moments. Every day. Wherever I am.

10″ x 10″ red wine, oil pastel, ink, pastel and acrylic on paper =$130