Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Pack or Paint

Separation.  Oil on canvas, 20 x 16 inches.  ©Karine Swenson2011.
A busy weekend has left me without much to say.  Too much talking already, perhaps.  The painting above is another one from the new series.  A smaller one.  In one week, I will be once again climbing onto an airplane heading for Thailand.  One week!  Sheesh.  I have a lot to do.  I wonder how many paintings I can paint in one week?  A difficult choice:  do I pack or paint?  Pack or paint?  hmmmm.....  PAINT!!!  I'll just throw my toothbrush, a tshirt and some clean underwear in the bag and go.  Right?  Right.

I leave you with an excerpt from Interviews with American Artists (David Sylvester):
Sylvester: "And what makes you feel that a painting is finished?  When do you leave a picture alone?"
Willem De Kooning:  "Well, I always have a miserable time over it.  But it is getting better now."
Sylvester: "But what is the criterion by which you know you can stop the painting?"
De Kooning:  "Oh, I really...I just stop, you know.  I sometimes get rather hysterical and because of that I find sometimes a terrific picture." 

Have a great week, all of you dear blog readers.  You know I just couldn't keep blogging without you.

5 comments:

ArtPropelled said...

....And here I've been keeping relatively quiet about my art angst. Knowing De Kooning had hysterics I feel better.

Paint for five days and then get your head straight and pack. Lucky adventurous girl you are!

Cynthia Schelzig said...

mmm like the sneaky peek of the newest piece....I feel relieved after reading the interview excerpt...I thought I was the only one "winging" when to stop or getting HYSTERICAL:)
I guess you do the same right? I am packing toooooo......off for a little vaca soooon.........have fun!!

Tina Bluefield said...

mmm....those irregular oval things catch my eyes...
I say PAINT....

Patty said...

Have a wonderful wonderful time in Thailand!!!

Annie said...

Lovely new painting. I say Paint up until the last minute :-).
de Kooning is my favorite artist, isn't he wonderful.
Have a wonderful trip!
xoxo