a political reprise

My patriotic wife and I voted today. We got to the busy polls at 6:03.
Then we went to Starbucks for our free coffee!

Today will be all about election coverage, on tv, on peoples blogs, on the internets.
So, how about something a little different...

I will tell you a story.



My gifted wife is painting in oils these days. For a long time she had been working in watercolors enjoying the quick freshness of the process as well as the result. But lately her work has been larger, with brighter colors and broader strokes. Really she is doing some beautiful work these days.

Painting in oils is a completely different process. The paints are thick and luxurious and take a long time to dry. She may paint vigorously one day, and need to leave it the next to set up.

Here is a glimpse of her studio, and her latest piece.
I love hanging out in the studio with her. Sometimes I will watch TV there, or work on the computer. It's a very cool place. It has great energy. It used to be our daughter's room, and still carries some evidence of her.
I love all the stuff in there... her paints, her easel, that sexy apron she wears sometimes to paint in...

I even love the way her palette looks - with its random squirts and smears of color. She uses this pad of waxy type paper for her palette. Squeezing out her colors and mixing them into different shades and hues. I find this process delightful. Plus it makes clean up a breeze. Oil paints don't require the daily clean up as water colors do, since they don't really 'dry' overnight, and remain quite malleable for a time.



I truly love this part of my creative wife. I love watching an idea bubble up inside her and then explode over a canvass. It's no wonder really that our daughter is also an artist. She paints as well, but is also an accomplished sculptor. So much creativity swirls in our house... in this room...


So much so in fact, that really should this have been a surprise??


Can you see it? Do you need a closer look?