Seated Woman, TSA 23 March 2012

Last night I went to TSA (Toronto School of Art) drop-in painting session (it only took a year to get there). Many fine artists. Perhaps these capture an essence. I'm considering going at the painting with oil sticks, and the pencil drawing on the canvas is going to get an ink treatment.

Woman of the Sea Far Inland, 2012, 18" x 24", 35.7cm x 61cm, acrylic on triple-primed canvas sheet.

Woman Seated, Waiting, 2012, 16" x 20", 40.6cm x 50.8cm, graphite on stretched canvas.

                              

Sketch of a Saluki

A very simple sketch of a Saluki (smooth variety). Saluki are the oldest domesticated dogs. Saluki-like dogs have been found on Sumerian seals dating back to 7,000-6,000BC; they are in pictures in ancient Egyptian tombs from 2134-1650BC. They are also called Persian Greyhounds, and are an Egyptian desert dog, and often travelled across the Sahara to the Caspian Sea with nomadic tribes. They are extremely thin, sleek, fast, and intelligent. No idea how I'll finish this sketch - design, or paint - but sharing a little scan. No, not my dog, but an extraordinary animal.

                              

Solaris

Guess what I was watching tonight... actually I watched Tarkovsky's Solaris last night, along with the American re-make with that just-arrested at Sudanese protest, the arresting George Clooney (while a great sight better to look at, sorry George, and Steven Soderbergh, the director of the re-make, Tarkovsky's film remains a small masterpiece). Tonight it was the interviews with those who worked in and on the film with Tarkovsky. Amazing insights, and I couldn't grasp it all and will watch again. I completely fell for Tarkovsky many years ago, when I first saw Nostalighia, which became my favourite film for the next 20 years, and is still among my all-time favourites.

To say something about Solaris? What in death doesn't die...

( a line from my prosepoem, Whaleskin, sorry, it rose, so I said it)