Seeing the Bigger Picture

One thing about my ups and downs, though some of the problems that prompt them are long term ones, if you leave yourself open to change, nice little things can brighten your day.

I did not do any painting yesterday. For a while it looked like the only good thing I had done was to mow the front footpath (sidewalk) The day befire, I had found a website of a guy who was described as being an expert in the Mische, Sfumato and sgraffito (often spelt without the "s's") techniques. So I thought I would try the mische technique of the Old Masters. I used acrylics to speed up the process. One of the problems with this is that the only White I have in Acrylics is Titanium White which is hard to use as a glaze unless you dilute it a lot with water and medium because it is not transparent. To remedy another problem I had to remember exactly what I had done previously and could not remember, so I ended up painting what I had done over to star again . So I am resolved , yet again, to try to remember to take notes of what I do. (It is a bit of a Catch 22 - like the Johnny Cash song where he forgets to remember to forget.)

Anyway, back to the inspirational bit. Mary got sick of watching Australia get beaten yet again by South Africa in the One Day Cricket Series. So she switched to the ABC channel which was showing Philip Glass's bio in twelve parts. Glass is not a composer I have heard a lot on ABC Classical FM. Much of his story and comments resonated with me, however, like making lots of little repetitive bits that become a pattern on the larger scale.

To me this is the the way the world is made in the Great Chain of Being with all it's differently scaled levels. Turn the tap on when you have detergent in your sink - the chaos of water molecules produces a nice larger scale pattern of bubbles.He is very eucumenical (open) in his religious beliefs and practices. Something I like a lot.

He also mentioned suddenly realising what an artwork (your own or other's) is about, but he also added that you have to keep working on it till it happens. This is rather like Edison's formula - Genius= 1% inspiration+ 99% perspiration.The results of what Glass does are awesome, notably in cooperation with other creative people.

I do not know how to embed Video here, but look for him on YouTube at something likewww.youtube.com/watch?v=LFBijDU8PpE

(Do this with a friend to hold your hand.)