Susan Livengood

Gregg often wonders why I have to justify what I’m doing.  Goody two shoes upbringing? Impostor syndrome?  I can’t tell you why I’m painting rocks and snow in June.

I’m letting the Cherry blossoms percolate.  I had started a series on Rocks & Snow.  Today I started a reverse.  Variations on a theme.  I thought the snow would kick my butt, but the rock did.  How to make it solid and connected to the earth.

My show at HART is being held over until June 30.  YEAH!  I bought some Sennelier paints.  I should have guessed that they wouldn’t be exactly the same colors as other brands.  I was disappointed to see that the Burnt Sienna was more yellow than I was used to.  But the consistency was divine!

Well! This is a fine mess you’ve gotten us into.  I thought I’d learned so much from from Cherry Blossom left.  Yesterday when I was working on collages, I found better pictures of trees in bloom.  The big problem now is getting rid of the cherry blossom that was at the bottom right.  I scraped a LOT of paint off of it. That is a real advantage of working on a panel.  After it dries, I’ll figure out what to do with that corner.   I know some painters know exactly what they are doing.  Actually, I figure they are full of crap, because I think a painting is like a work of fiction.  The characters can hijack the story.

Took Tues. & Wed for colonoscopy.  One tiny polyp, and I’m good to go for ten years.   I realized I need to think of symbols, the tree as a symbol.  Now, I’m standing on the outside, aloof.  I need to be a part of this tree, not merely observing.

I painted a bit yesterday before we went to Kim’s baby shower.  It was lovely, and she’s ready to have the kid.  She had amazing ultrasound photos.  Today I worked on both paintings.   So, the first photo is from Sun.

Last night “On Golden Pond” opened at HART.  It was funny and thank goodness they didn’t have the character Norman, die at the end.  Donna was shocked when I said we had to hurry out to serve.  She had steeled herself for a death scene.  She did not need that.  I had some good feedback on my work.  The opening night party is usually a madhouse, we were told, and this was no different.  The caterers from Sunset fixed food that was mentioned in the play.  It was the first time we had seen milk and cookies on a buffet!  I think painting today was productive.

I offered to make a painting for Kim and Sonexay’s baby girl, due in June.  We decided on a theme of cherry blossoms.  I did a paper collage, an idea I will follow.  But I got interested and started a slightly different idea.  This one is on a panel, a hollow core door that Gregg cut in half then added a support at the bottom.  The size is 24″ x 40″.  I’ve been exploring textures and this should be a challenge; blossoms, trunks, leaves, water, light and dark.  I thought Kim would like to follow my progress, so if you’re reading this, you are a voyeur!

Gregg and Bobbi installed my show, and I just sat there.   We agreed on placement, and got 25 pieces hung in less than two hours.  We had a nice lunch with Bobbi and caught up on her treatment for breast cancer.   I’ve already had an inquiry, and sold a piece.  The show “On Golden Pond” opens tomorrow night and we will be there with bells on.