inspiration vacation

Greetings Art Enthusiasts,

I am returning from a week off of daily intensive studies via the studio with little to share of a visual nature... sorry but my self portraits and "secret squirel projects" are off limits to this blog. Still I did a work (often more than one) every day as not to be too far away from studies as a good artist should! I blame that on the record snowfall (more accumulated in one day that that of record breaking status, over 100 years ago) that began 10 days ago. I will say that I had a lot of inspiring experiences this week which I must pass on through my motto: "variety is the spice of life"

Most people vacation in the exotic dream worlds of the netherlands (cancun, paris, egypt... you know who you are!) but I learned long ago that if you can't find happiness in your own backyard, as an artist you will have a short shelf life. With that in mind I took a 10 day vacation with minimalism in mind. I sought out that which I have never experienced before... a new route I have never traveled (deeper into harlem by almost 100 streets) , a new color of paint I have never tried (king's blue) , a new substrate to paint on( gessoboard) , a new kind of cheese I have never tasted (honey goat) , a new bread I have never made (jalepeno to name just one of many) , a new museum I have never been into (American history) , a new piece of fruit I have never painted- with that I leave you not a terribly successfull study but an honest attempt of "Clementine." Enjoy!- G.A. back to the easel.