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
Calming down
2008-04-10 15:40:00 After yesterday’s tirade, I hope to relax a little more today and not feel so aimless in the paint. But it’s not really like one has any control over this any more. You set up, the scene (or something) whispers to you, speaks to you, guides you. I no more have control over where these ...
The dark accent
2008-04-10 15:27:00 Yesterday… well, yes, not sure exactly what happened there. Painted this view in Spokane, just down the road from Spokane art, an abandoned lot, dreary, with old railroad tracks. Very forlorn, I’ll probably go back here. Back at home, I wanted to do a study of this old fallen tree down on Hays, but I think ... More About: Painting , Dark , The Dark
Exuberant failure
2008-04-09 12:51:00 Yesterday wasn’t so great, at lunch I drove down to 3rd avenue, near Molly’s restaurant, hoping to do a study of it. Couldn’t get a space near, and then after parking further back and walking closer, I started painting and the rain starts up. So, back to the car, and now painting under the hatchback. ... More About: Painting , Failure
The wanton expression and the salvation of our soul
2008-04-08 15:17:00 I find it odd that often bringing a painting back home, I will point out some object in the scene and ask my children “what is this?” As if trying to determine how much they can still recognize? Understanding seems to wait for me at every turn, every decision is wrapped up in it, and ... More About: Soul , Salvation , Expression
Shadows and truth and the lonely light above
2008-04-08 06:21:00 I painted this at lunch today, it was starting to rain/snow a little so I set up under the hatch of my Subaru and painted whatever the view afforded. Found myself looking across some dreary parking lot into the side of the interstate overpass, with some hospital buildings and parking garage gracing the background. Obscure ... More About: Truth , Painting , Light , Shadows , Lonely
Another winter like day
2008-04-07 15:52:00 Another winter like day, started out this morning with a view looking out across the west pasture, not sure what I was doing here. Dismal. Later, around mid morning I drove down near John’s house, wanted to do a study of those old trees on his property, but it started raining in the midst of painting, ... More About: Winter , Painting
In pursuit of aimlessness
2008-04-06 18:07:00 A few paintings from yesterday. The first down near where the runoff comes across Hays road. I was oblivious to the scene in front of me. Turning back for home I finally decided to paint this stupd bathtub and tire that I have seen hundreds of times. Maybe John uses it as a water trough for the ... More About: Painting
The torture of conventional wisdom
2008-04-05 15:06:00 Painted this late yesterday, down at Joel’s abandoned house. Cold, windy, dark clouds swirling everywhere. Felt so cold, depressing. I had wanted to paint one of the old junk cards out in the fields. But the wind was so wet and freezing I just hid behind the hatchback of the car and painted whatever I ... More About: Painting , Wisdom , Torture
The last church
2008-04-04 14:46:00 Couple of paintings from yesterday, the first an alley way in Spokane. Division street I think. Or Ruby, I can’t keep them straight. I don’t want to know where they are. This one, a late day view just up the road from the house. Spring runoff ditch. I see a new sacrament evolving, coming out of man, ... More About: Church , Painting
Danielle
2008-04-03 20:20:00 I painted Danielle after work yesterday, she was gracious enough to sit for me. I told her she could have the painting once it was done, after I get a photo of it. Not such a great study, trying to capture too much, say too much. Her face is so tender you really have to ... More About: Painting
A modern prayer
2008-04-02 17:58:00 I wish I had someting to add to this, a sketch or something… I’ll dig around Drained of feeling, devoid of insight. I no longer try to understand anything. Keep me in the dark would be my prayer. Keep me feeling and seeing without trying to categorize those feelings or seeings. There is some point that ... More About: Prayer , Modern
The crushing, haunting beauty of what she has become
2008-04-01 23:53:00 Today, back out on the streets. Painted this view looking south, downtown, some street in Spokane. I think I am going to just stay in my car from now on, I seem to be continually accosted by strangers. And have to start talking to them, while I paint, and so now my brain is going ... More About: Beauty , Painting
What was I thinking
2008-04-01 15:29:00 I had maybe 30 minutes at lunch today, and did the best I could in that time, but ultimately I am imprisoned by the time constraints of my own making. But then I think there is a certain raw beauty that comes out when we “don’t” have time to make it all perfect, polished, pristine. ... More About: Painting , Thinking
Spangle sidewalk
2008-03-30 05:50:00 Snow came in yesterday, dear God I think winter will still be here in July. Joy was at work today, and me home with the kids (trying to get them to clean up, what a laugh), well I finally broke away around 5 and drove to Spangle . Did this study looking north along the sidewalk. Colder ... More About: Painting
I think I?m in love
2008-03-29 13:46:00 I saw her yesterday. Gazing down at me with those languid eyes. Irresistible. How can they post images like this and get away with it? If we really looked at her, really saw into her heart this city would grind to a halt under her gaze. Everything that is wrong, weak, disparate, deluded, hurting is summed ... More About: Love , Painting
The skies of tears
2008-03-28 05:08:00 This was a late day study around the corner on Kentuck Trails, where it turns north and Hays road continues east. I am worn out, destitute of direction, knowledge, insight, understanding. I am so utterly devastated within, fears and longings unmet, answers forever beyond my grasp. Still, strangely I am optimistic. Of what I am ... More About: Painting
She doesn?t know how sad she is
2008-03-27 23:29:00 I went back to the street near the Otis hotel and did this painting looking north under the overpass. Pretty much a repeat of an earlier study last week I think. Feeling numb from this. Driving back to work I felt in some odd place of puzzlement, without understanding the why of these efforts, yet ... More About: Painting
John?s farming emporium
2008-03-27 13:27:00 Painted this late yesterday, from the NE corner of our ground looking to the east at John ’s collection of farm junk. Tried using the oils more on this, which I like, but after a while with the acrylics and glazes all getting mashed together the palette turns into one giant gloopy mud bog. But who ... More About: Painting , Farming
Car lot
2008-03-26 22:38:00 Painted this on my lunch hour today. Some car lot on Second ave in Spokane. It was drizzly so I sat in the car. Not the most pleasant way to paint but better than not painting at all. I realy had no empathy for the scene, there was absolutely nothing in it that inspired me ... More About: Painting
I have forgotten why
2008-03-26 14:00:00 Read this while listening to “Ships on Fire” which can be found here: http://www.protoplazma.com/releases/015/n et.p015.html Pointless, meaningless, irrelevant, without purpose or connection or application. Swimming in it now. Aimlessness. Drifting into the shadows of life without applied meaning. “Space 59″. A painting from lunch yesterday. I think perhaps the first time I actually finished before the hour was up ... More About: Painting , Forgotten
Painting as a foil
2008-03-25 14:27:00 Two paintings from yesterday. Downtown Spokane, unknown overpass, with a billboard tacked to the overpass for a jeweler. I think I will go back there, some interesting run down storefronts alng this stretch. Later I went down the road and did a study of the Joel’s house in the runoff in the field. Okay, time for ... More About: Painting
Farm implements
2008-03-24 02:52:00 Today was dreary, cold and wet. Made this one effort around 10, but the drizzle started up and I was just barely able to complete it. Haven’t made the effort to go back out, maybe one more before sunset but I think I will probably have to paint from inside the car, or sit in ... More About: Painting , Farm
More run down sheds
2008-03-23 17:30:00 A painting of John’s sheds - again. I love these old weather beaten shacks, reminds me of our own broken down condition maybe. I keep seeing more …objects… every direction along this road presents a rich bounty of source material. I could live here a million years and not scratch the surface. More About: Painting
How much longer can we keep doing this?
2008-03-22 18:36:00 A little sketch from late yesterday, Hays road. Life. Get up, move, go, see, stop, look around. Never seeing, never being, never never ever doing. And yet, and yet… every moment is precious, perfect, wrought and golden and still. I no longer try and determine much of anything, the paintings are perfectly sealed in nothingness and I ... More About: Painting
Peeking behind the facade
2008-03-22 18:34:00 Some recent paintings of downtown… the one with the two smokestacks was from yesterday. I have a suspicion that the sincere expression holds a significant key to deepening awareness of the “createdness” of our existence. There is something about these acts wherein one is lost in the heartfelt response, if practiced diligently, begings to strip away ... More About: Painting
How badly do you have to paint before you give up?
2008-03-22 17:42:00 Some recent paintings, I have been getting behind in taking photos of them and noting the day’s progress. I think that is important somehow. These quick studies possess my soul. I don’t know why I am doing them anymore, I bring them home and can hardly stand to look at them. I did that? Well, it ... More About: Painting , Give , Paint , Give up
Investigating the forbidden things
2008-03-21 14:46:00 I am investigating, poking around at the walls and surfaces of life. The art (paintings) are simply the byproduct. What we are really after is a deeper understanding of experience and existence. So hard to frame for you… I can’t begin to articulate it, other than to say that it is definitely not art making ... More About: Things
I watch the paint go down and I think
2008-03-20 04:16:00 how lousy, how the brush is not obidient, I can not seem to express what is in my heart. And I think, perfect, that is exactly what is at stake. Helpless to the weakness of expression. That is exactly the point. You cannot paint, you cannot master anything, mastery is illusion, adeptness feeds the sickness. You are ... More About: Watch , Paint
Incest
2008-03-19 13:15:00 I have been caught having an incestuous relationship. With my culture. I look out at the crush of human existence and feel that we are all victims of incest. Inbreeding, duplicating our lives amongst each other, along accepted limits and patterns, we ape one another until there is little left of our persona. Differences are blurred, ... More About: Incest
Monday recap
More articles from this author:2008-03-17 18:40:00 Getting more behind on keep track of the paintings. Hard to force yourself to document when creation beckons. Writing here, I feel like I should just write in the novel, or start another book. I sometimes wonder if there is much validity any longer in writing in a journal like this. The art. writing, poetry, whatever ... More About: Recap , Monday 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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