Nebraska and Arkansas Events
I have a feeling I'm going to see some very pretty countryside this week! Here's where I'm headed: April 19, 2012 Lauritzen Gardens Omaha, NE April 21, 2012 1:00 Flower, Garden, and Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas Springdale, AR
read moreThe Portland Diaries, Part 2
I went the wrong way at the Rothko exhibit at the Portland Art Museum, turning right instead of left, which meant that I saw his last work first. I have an excuse, though: when I walked in, I looked to the left and saw a bunch of stuff I didn’t recognize. Nice paintings, but not Rothkos. Must be some other exhibit. Works from the permanent collection or whatever. But over to the right I saw some Rothkos, so I went that way. You don’t have to do much label-reading to figure out when you’re going backwards in an...
read moreThe Portland Diaries, Part 1.5
I should be back at the apartment writing The Great American Something right now, but instead I’m in a coffee shop writing yet another blog post. Actual conversation overheard a few minutes ago: Customer asks what kombucha is. Man and woman behind the counter take turns trying to answer. It’s…uh….it’s this stuff– It’s alive, kind of. Yeah, no, it is alive. It’s got these things– They’re supposed to be good for you. Yeah, they’re like these things that are alive–or...
read moreThe Portland Diaries, Part One
So here I am in Portland, occupying a totally charming apartment courtesy of Tin House, whose offices are right next door. (press release, which explains everything.) Actually, the magazine is on one side and the book publisher is on the other, so I am surrounded by literary wonderfulness. On Tuesdays I teach a nonfiction workshop in Portland State University’s MFA program; that happened for the first time last night. Damn, those students are fiercely smart and well-read. The only book I could recommend to them that they...
read moreHow Not To Be Eaten
Great title. I reviewed that and another bug book in the Washington Post. Both got me rassling with the question of what make science writing interesting. The answer, as far as I can tell? Little bit of science, whole lot of drama. Adultery and murders whenever possible. In other news: the Wall Street Journal did a little garden round-up for spring. They wanted a picture of me in my garden, and I remembered that Saxon Holt took some when he was here a few years ago. Memo to self: Next time there’s a photographer lurking...
read morePortland by Sundown!
I’m packing up the car and heading to Portland, where I’ll be a writer-in-residence for two months, teaching a nonfiction workshop in the MFA program at Portland State University. The incredibly cool people at Tin House are co-sponsors of this deal; thanks to them, I’ll have a nifty little apartment that they may well have to pry me out of at the end of the term. Aaaand I’ll be traveling around the country a little bit. Cool Friday night event at the LA Natural History museum, a couple of Wicked Plants exhibit...
read more8th Avenue, New York City
Sometimes I get a lot of mileage out of just one intersection. I walked back and forth across the crosswalk through several light changes, snapping pictures. This is the latest of several I’ve done from the same intersection. I’m in love with this 6 x 12 size–it totally lends itself to paintings of the city. 6 x 12 inch oil on 1.5 inch thick cradled wood panel. Click here to bid, go here to see other paintings, and go here to see my Daily Paintworks...
read moreMorning in Manhattan
This actually comes from a photography by Bobby Williams. I saw it online and asked him if I could paint it, and he agreed. I’m just in love with all that blue light.
read moreGoing to the Gig
New Orleans, of course. I saw this guy with his bass and just followed him around until the light hit him just right.
read moreStreet Umbrellas
I did an interview on the Daily Paintworks blog in which I confessed that this painting is pretty much all about me avoiding having to paint faces. Still, it was a fun one to do–I don’t think I’ve ever tackled this many figures at once. It’s all just lines and colors, right?
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