A Painter's JournalA Painter's JournalDaily painting, essays, journaling and etchings by Michael S. Parkes, artist and writer in Eastern Washington. Capturing a daily inspirational thought, reflecting on the process of life itself, expressing a new vision for human existence Articles
Wandering stars, for whom it is reserved the blackness of darkness forever
2008-05-08 05:43:00 Hays Road Study, 9″ x 12″, acrylic on masonite, May 7, 2008 Worked on this painting late yesterday and it was pure torture. I honestly think it is the worst thing I have ever done. Painting and painting and glazing with no end in sight. I probably should have stopped at several points during the process, ... More About: Stars , Wandering , Forever , Darkness
Good and Evil
2008-05-07 15:25:00 I don’t know the difference any more between the good and the bad. Some appear to have some quality that I might call good, but then even the bad ones, you set them aside and come back later and realize there was some peculiar mood, or light, or odd combination of color that gives it ... More About: Painting , Evil , Good , Good and Evil
What does it take to be a painter?
2008-05-06 18:48:00 You are not a painter because you have… talent education inspiration accolades desire sales belief in yourself the best materials a recognizable style … You are a painter because you paint! More About: Painter
The Prickly Forest
2008-05-05 07:01:00 What a bizarre weekend. Started out normal enough, I painted this study of a fencepost. But I could not escape this nagging desire to paint something larger, so finally gave up and gessoed a 4 ft x 3 ft pice of masonite and did a painting of the bushes in front of the house. Erin ... More About: Painting , Forest
More painting in Pleasant Valley
2008-05-04 05:06:00 Went back down to Pleasant Valley today at lunch, and did a little painting looking across to the hillside. A guy drives up and parks in the middle of painting so he gets added in. The painting is flowing more effortlessly. Starting maybe to understand more about the natural response being the true response. So hard ... More About: Painting
The dark words, the ancient loneliness
2008-05-02 15:20:00 Painted this late yesterday, along the treed area of Hays. Some of the earlier textures when you first start out with the acrylics are better. The paintings when they first start out seem to have more life, adding more paint does not equate to capturing more of the life in the scene. Not much left to do ... More About: Painting , Words , Dark , The Dark , Loneliness
We have been robbed of wonder
2008-05-01 15:26:00 A late day sketch of Jon’s house. I had intended to head on down to the treed area but liked the way his house looked, and couldn’t find a reason to keep going. It doesn’t matter what you choose to paint. It will have been exactly what you needed to do, regardless. Slowly, the shell ... More About: Painting , Robbed
When I think of the splendor that awaits you?
2008-05-01 01:27:00 …I could almost cry. When I think of the treasure that resides in your heart, that you haven’t quite fathomed, I thrill. Oh, if only we had but the slightest grasp of the place and wondrous position these expressions hold with creation’s fabric.. I think we would leap at every chance to sing and cry and ...
Art for the children
2008-04-30 16:33:00 I had a really nice time at lunch today, drove down to that Pleasant Valley area of downtown, and did a study looking into the trees and brush that lines the hillside. Making more use of the glazing medium and learning (I hope) to just relax and not worry about every detail, just allowing the ... More About: Children , Painting
You and I are as close as we are ever going to get
2008-04-28 15:19:00 Some paintings over the weekend. Late evening on Friday, on Hays road where it makes that high turn. And another in the same area. Yesterday, went back to this same area, and this is looking down across the road to the north. Early afternoon, a study of the ditch along Hays. Late yesterday, a study along the side of ... More About: Painting , Close
The blessed absence of meaning
2008-04-26 14:39:00 This one from late yesterday. Tortured rendering, rather dismal effort. I think I knew well into it that this was going nowhere and was pointless to keep thrashing it about. Still it seemed to demand following it on out, I just kept painting long after I normally would stop just to see what happens. This is ... More About: Painting , Meaning , Blessed
Painting the church again
2008-04-25 15:42:00 Three from yesterday. This a view of that church that I have painted before, I like this area, lots of nondescript city corners and holes that are depressing and pointless. The church being the centerpiece of the insanity. Probably will go back here today. At least there are no parking meters around there which ... More About: Church , Painting , The Church
Doorway to nowhere
2008-04-24 15:37:00 Emptiness. It is about the only presence I feel anymore. As if it were solid, a substance, moving beneath everything. I am not sure how painting factors into all of this. Except that it is part of the path to get from point a to b. You are completely alone in the process, you ... More About: Painting
Primitive acts
2008-04-23 15:22:00 Did these three paintings yesterday. (Trying to remind myself that these are not studies, but full bore paintings. Period. There is no difference.) The first, down in that same area along Hays where I seem to hang out lately. The second, just turned around and looked the other way, west down the road. Went back to the ... More About: Painting , Primitive
It?s boring on 2nd ave
2008-04-23 04:22:00 I stopped on 2nd avenue today at lunch, thought I might try to do a painting with this ridiculous billboard in the corner… “Your eyes…” and then something about glasses I think. I don’t know what I was doing, paint goes everywhere, I would have liked to have stuck around and “finished” it. Oh well. More ... More About: Painting , Boring
More snow
2008-04-22 15:07:00 A study standing under a railroad overpass in Spokane from yesterday. I hadn’t really intended to stand under it, but the snow started up and so I just moved where I could find some cover. Probably will go back here today, I saw other directions that looked interesting from this same point. Maybe today it ... More About: Painting , Snow
The mad pursuit of perfection
2008-04-21 14:57:00 We had snow off and on yesterday so I didn’t get out as much. Started the day fairly early with this study of the fence line. Later, after the snow. Same area, just a view looking east down Hays. And towards the end of the day, I snuck out after the kids had dinner and did a ... More About: Painting , Perfection
A fun day
2008-04-20 06:12:00 Today was fun. I think for the first time in a long time. Simply, enjoyably fun. Not trying to make anything just finding something halfway interesting and then responding to the instance. One aspect I am starting to delight in is the correction in the midst of the work, such that you may begin and block out the ... More About: Painting
The grief of her devastated heart
2008-04-19 17:54:00 A little micro-short story I wrote that touches on some of the sentiments of this weakness that envelops all things… More About: Stories , Heart , Grief
Yesterday
2008-04-19 14:44:00 Yesterday wasn’t such a great day painting. The work is too chaotic, there is so little grounding in the scene, and the textures and masses of colors are obnoxious. They always seem right “at the time” but on gazing at them later I feel they are failures at capturing any sentiment that has beauty. But ... More About: Yesterday
Meaning making - the ultimate religion
2008-04-18 15:12:00 A view near John’s house, from late yesterday. A view of the field adjacent to our home, late in the evening. Now, back to more chaotic ramblings of an insane painter. This is all a created space. Our experience, every fragrance and touch is breathed upon us in perfect graceful touch. We are awash some creative play of ... More About: Religion , Painting , Meaning , Ultimate
Misery and majesty
2008-04-17 17:39:00 The downtowner hotel from yesterday at lunch. A study on Hays road (which I went back early this morning and “adjusted”) A painter paints not because he or she has any talent, you paint because the majesty and misery of life has so gripped your heart you have no choice but to respond to it. I look ... More About: Painting , Majesty
Celebrating the misery of our existence
2008-04-16 14:36:00 After Monday’s tirade I felt drained of anything remotely resembling energy. It didn’t help that is was sleeting at lunch yesterday when I went out to paint. I finally just pulled over and painted from inside the car - a view looking east at the corner of Perry and Sprague. After work I drove down ... More About: Painting , Existence
Monsters from the id
2008-04-15 14:39:00 A sketch yesterday late in the day while Emily was at dance class. Looking west along 1st avenue I think. Not sure about the street, near the fox theatre. A waste of good paint. There is no logical explanation for what it is you express, purpose, constructive attainment. I think we are pulled sometimes into pointless, ... More About: Painting , Monsters
The weak soul of man
2008-04-14 14:23:00 I am besieged by the thoughts that my work is weak and amateurish. And so it is. But what else am I supposed to do? One cannot help how you paint, the path that seems true. If I were to sit down in front of some large canvas and say, okay yes, now I will ... More About: Soul
The inevitable consequences
2008-04-14 05:10:00 Just keep doing whatever it is you do. That would be my only advice to a creative person. Do you write? Keep writing. Don’t mind the mispellings and flaws in character development. Do you paint? Keep painting, one horrid work after another. No matter what it is that’s in your heart, all that matters is ... More About: Painting , Consequences
The mark
2008-04-13 20:26:00 Today was a puzzle. Started out at Joel’s house and did a view looking between the two buildings, with this old grill. Weird. I don’t know why I did it. I started out this morning with all of the God writing in it, but I couldn’t stand to look at it today and so later ... More About: Painting , Mark , The Mark
Mark of the beast
2008-04-13 06:02:00 Today was a puzzle. Started out at Joel’s house and did a view looking between the two buildings, with this old grill. Weird. I don’t know why I did it. I started out this morning with all of the God writing in it, but I couldn’t stand to look at it today and so late ... More About: Mark , Beast
Graven Images
2008-04-12 15:55:00 Went out at lunch yesterday determined to make a more vigorous use of a mixed technique between acrylic and the ws oils, parked down at the same area as yesterday and did a view looking north up the road. I am fed up with trying to remain faithful. Coming home tonight I worked on a study ... More About: Painting , Images
More buildings and fields
More articles from this author:2008-04-11 13:48:00 There is really little control over what the paintings become. You start out with the best intentions (or sometimes no intentions to be honest), only to find your hand falling into certain passages with intensity, other areas completely ignored. The little painting of the field pond from late yesterday I left a fair amount at ... More About: Painting , Buildings , Fields 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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