On Thursday I shot photos of one of my students in the role of the Magician – I posted the sketch for it a few days ago. She has a particularly dramatic appearance that’s going to be really wonderful to paint, with a high-boned pale face against long dark hair, while a fabulous black and white [...]
Photographer Rafael Cardenas was at the gallery for the opening of the exhibit at Bert Green’s Gallery in Los Angeles last Wednesday, and kindly sent me his photo of my piece As the Crow Flies with me in it being photographed. He’s a good shooter – I like what I see of his work on [...]
A new semester begins today, with fresh faces in the classrooms. I love teaching! After being my children’s father, and alongside my painting work it’s the most valuable thing that I do. I’m not feeling the transitions from vacation to semester time in the same way now that I live here at the university – [...]
I don’t know how to stretch the day to be even more productive. This day was taken by some very pleasant events that were thoroughly enjoyable and laid groundwork for the future, but meant that I simply couldn’t get any painting done at all, except to snatch a few ten minute breaks to figure out [...]
I’m in Santa Barbara working with John Blondell on his production of Beckett short plays. I’ve always loved working with John, because he has a wild imagination and is open to all the totally off the wall idea we can brew up, taking them seriously until it’s clear that they are completely beyond credibility. We’ve [...]
The vertical monitor is incredibly helpful! I’m so happy to have it to use as a tool. The boxes are nearly complete for the Beckett plays, so we’re well on the way to getting the pieces up and running for the actors and directors to work with actual set furnishings, and I’ll get lighting designed [...]
I spent a pleasant morning driving to Santa Barbara to meet up with everyone involved in the Beckett production that I’m designing for John Blondell. It looks as though the consensus of opinion is that everything should be as stripped down as possible, as simple as can be, with the theatre cleaned out of all [...]
John Blondell and I have known each other for nearly ten years. He’s the director of the experimental (and very fun) Lit Moon Theatre Company, which I’ve been involved with as a designer. I think he’s one of the most creative people I ever had the pleasure of working with, so it was a big [...]
Here’s a shot from the dress rehearsal of the play, which is now over. Lukas brought the tree down to the studio for me today, so it will be ready for a new incarnation in Simi Valley for Earth Day. This year I’m expecting to work with recycled computer circuit boards which will be hung [...]
There’s an article about the show by Bojana Hill in the Santa Barbara Independent describing the tree as a ”beautiful centerpiece”. Nice!
