Glendale Canyon view – Karen Winters Daily Painting
“Canyon View” 16 x 20 oil on canvas
Towering deodar trees frame a hillside overlooking Chevy Chase Canyon in Glendale, California. There is a little park where Linda Vista meets Figueroa. if you hike down a trail out of the park, this is the view.
This is one of six paintings I’ll be bringing to the “Artists of the Canyon” group exhibition opening March 14 at the Chevy Chase Country Club in Glendale, California. The reception is on Friday the 14th.
Weekend update …
I was away for a long weekend of movies, art and photography in Palm Springs and environs. New art coming up soon, please check back later Monday after I get some things scanned. Thanks, Karen.
Chicken – Daily Painting
Study of a chicken … 5″ x 6″ – gouache on recycled paper
I thought the recycled paper worked well for this. In fact, the little bits of fiber in the paper reminded me of the sort of straw and dust found in barnyard environments and gave me a nice midtone to work against.
Bless me father, for I have snacked
Presented for your consideration, a portrait of my all time favorite snack. Yes, I am a pretzel addict. I like chips but could pass them up. Candy? I have only a vague interest. I can even pass up chocolate. But I absolutely adore pretzels, a taste acquired, I’m sure, from my Pennsylvania Dutch forbears.
Here are a few interesting tidbits I’ve heard about pretzels. They were supposedly first made by a medieval monk who twisted the dough to resemble the arms crossed across the breast in prayer (that was a typical posture at the time, and you will occasionally see that gesture on old paintings.) These twisted dough snacks were given as a reward to good children who learned their prayers. The word origin variously is “pretiola” (little prayer) preziola (little present) or “brachiola” (little arm). Perhaps the word emerged from a synthesis of the three ideas. The three holes formed in the twist refers to the three parts of the Christian trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit.)
One legend says that a pretzel was used during marriage ceremonies, and was broken and consumed by bride and groom to symbolize their union.
My personal favorite is the Rold Gold brand, but they changed the formula 15 or so years ago and it’s never been quite the same. It’s still better than others to my taste, though.
This picture was painted in my Canson Montval wc journal with tube paints. Actual size of the pretzel itself is about 4.5 in. x 2.5″
Family stuff
We’re doing family stuff over this weekend – here and there – more art coming soon.
Mandu is boarded and well taken care of. The vet said they had the “spa” ready for her.
Oh, and don’t miss “The Devil Wears Prada” if you’re a Meryl Streep or Ann Hathaway fan.
New art tomorrow
There will be new art here tomorrow. Right now, I’m still cleaning up all the falalalala and enjoying the company of our daughter, home briefly from New York, and our son, home from college.
In the meantime, why don’t you mosey on over to Russ Stutler’s new Sketching Discussion Page and join in a conversation. If you aren’t familiar with Russ’ work, you should be. He does wonderful things with a brush pen and is a real expert on fountain pens, among many other topics. His new forum is just getting off the ground. We’ve just been talking about drawing amongst ourselves and it would be great if you’d join us … You need to register but it’s easy and free!
What I am most thankful for …
Sorry, no drawing this time.
This is the first Thanksgiving since our kids were born that we and they are apart. And not just a few miles, but a continent. Daughter Kel (24) is working in New York on a transfer from her LA office, and our son Mike (20) (the Daily Bruin photog) had the opportunity to go to the city to shoot a Bruin basketball tournament in Madison Square Garden. So the two of them are hanging out for the holiday, having gigabytes of photographic fun and cramming all the enjoyment they can into the short weekend. Parades, skating, subway riding, coffeehouse crawling, the whole schmear.
When your kids are young and tormenting each other, and their most common term of endearment is “butthead,” you keep wondering and worrying how it will all turn out. Will they grow up and go their separate ways, as happens in some families? Will there be awkward moments between “pass the stuffing” and “thanks for the pie” as everyone grits their teeth, trying to be civil? Will every family reunion turn into a snipefest? Or will they grow into caring adults who actually enjoy each other’s company? Ten years ago I wasn’t sure. But that’s in the past.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. And may you all be as blessed this holiday season as I feel tonight.
Go Bruins – Go Mike!
If you missed the UCLA-Stanford game Saturday you missed another incredible white-knuckler.
Note to Bruins: yes, we like drama, but waiting until last 9 minutes of the fourth quarter to score 21 points and tie it up at 24-24 is just a little too much excitement for the likes of me. (The score was Stanford 21, UCLA 3 up until the last nine.)
Our Bruin junior, Michael, was on the sidelines to capture all of the action for the Daily Bruin.
MIKE WINTERS/daily bruin senior staff photographer
Sophomore wide receiver Brandon Breazell makes the game-winning touchdown in overtime over Stanford’s T.J. Rushing, finishing off the most unlikely of comebacks.
More of Mike’s game pictures at these links:
I don’t have a drawing for this, but I have a vivid picture in my mind
An eyewitness account of being in New Orleans, from an Emergency Medical Technician who was in town for a convention.
Worth a read.
