National Portrait Gallery, London

Yesterday--after quite a few tiring transport delays, and still working on almost no sleep...ugh--I made it to the National Portrait Gallery. I have to say that finally standing in front of my first "live" Sargent portrait was a pretty great feeling! And even though there was glass covering the canvases, still you were allowed to get right up close to them, so that was cool. I'd long been curious about seeing in person the fact of lights being thicker and darks thinner, and Sargent's painterly strokes. In person the colors are so much more rich, especially the subtle colors, the grays and neutral browns and such.

The piece that stays in my mind most, though, from yesterday's visit, was a contemporary 9-canvas monochrome work (approx. 20" x 20" each?) called Akram Khan, by artist Darvish Fakhr. Sadly, I'd never heard of this artist. Glad I know of his work now! Sooo beautifully painted, I soaked in as much as I could and hated to leave it (yeah, uh, could I just borrow those to put on my living room wall at home?...thanks).

Also wonderful was the fact that the BP2009 exhibition (British annual portrait prize: awarded by Britain, but chosen from entries submitted from anywhere, by anyone, apparently) was on. (Did I mention that admission to Tate Britain, Tate Modern, National Portrait Gallery, and National Gallery is free?) I can't imagine a more wonderful thing to see than one of these BP shows, as an artist interested in contemporary portraiture.

Whew. After all those hours on my feet, I had to come back to the hotel and put my tootsies up.

Blue plums

Here's one from last summer, when I started doing Daily Painting. These little prune plums grow on a tree in our yard, and I love their dusty-blue color. They're tasty, too, though sour.

Well, it's pissing down rain (yes, I do believe that is the technical term) here in London, but no matter, as I brought my umbrella to England, in spite of The Husband's scorn at my doing such a thing. (He didn't even bring a jacket...and keeps wanting to borrow mine, no surprise.) There is no hair product I know of that can prevent Jewfro events from occurring here. (And if anyone does know of one, let me know asap!)

Went for a couple of hours today to the National Gallery. What has stayed in my mind are: Rembrandt self-portrait at age 34; Velazquez's Portrait of King Philip IV (with the upturned moustache); Van Gogh's Sunflowers (very yellow-ochrey) and one of two red crabs on a turquoise background: magnificent!!; and a few Gauguins, particularly a still life with these marvelously purpley mangoes--what gorgeous color on that one! Oh, and of course some huge Turner seascapes.

I love how extremely navigable London is via the Tube. But it's so hot and uncomfortable and crowded in the subway. Why hasn't someone invented some kind of giant eco-friendly cooling device for that?

I was awake most of the night with jetlag. Send good wishes that I sleep tonight!

Missing those little soft feets....

$115.00 - Blue plums (Ready to Frame)

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Carousel

The bright colors and liveliness of this piece inspired the title "Carousel." I was going to call it "Harlequin," but clowns and harlequins and such really creep me out.

There's some glare on the photo; sorry. I took it just before we left and it was still wet--we just arrived in London for 8 days, and I plan to see some Sargent and Turner while I'm here! So far, my intentions include Tate Modern (hoping for Rothko), Tate Britain, and National Portrait Gallery. Anyone with specific what-art-to-see in London suggestions, please feel free.

Sometimes you just gotta find a little sunbeam and lose consciousness for a while.

(P.S. Lynx wants you all to know he's a boy--but he won't hold a grudge for those of you who thought he was so pretty, he must be a girl.)

$625.00 - Carousel (No need to frame)

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Sky study 3 / bugs in lamp

The sky as I looked east on Friday night...

Oh, the wonder of bugs inside a translucent lamp!

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Infamous little Cheese Monster, aka The Lynxster, aka Lynxmuffin

I know, I know--you've come here for art, and you're getting an awful lot of Lynx. It has been suggested that he get his own blog...but I can't deal... So at least for the moment, he'll just keep sharing (usurping) mine.

A partial list (in no particular order) of things Lynx has been eating off our plates (we don't normally allow that, but a) he's so damn cute, and b) he's extremely insistent/persistent:

Potatoes

Pasta

Potato chips

Rye toast with raspberry jam
Crunchitos brand cheese doodle snacks
Soy milk
Indian spiced dal (lentils)
Carrot cake
Basmati rice
Forbidden (black Chinese) rice
Oat cereal
Shredded wheat cereal
Garbanzos
Eggplant
And...cheese, cheese, cheese!

This kitten is not normal.

Yoga and Clematis

Cheese Monster demonstrates the less-well-known yoga pose Down Kitten.

Plucked this clematis flower from the bush in our yard to paint it, and didn't expect it to last an hour in a vase, it looked so fragile and delicate. It's now on its third day in the vase...someone from the cut-flower industry ought to take note!

$115.00 - Clematis (Ready to Frame)

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Color Samples and an offended kitten

For a long time, I've had the idea to do a series of pastels of this kind, to be called, simply, Color Samples. I've always been in love with any sort of color chips or color samples, from paint stores, color charts, and whatnot. What it's about for me is the intuitive choices of how hues interact and together create a certain mood. This is the first one.

Oy, lady, please don't kiss me!

$285.00 - Color Samples (Framed)

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Little guy(s)

This is a little 6" x 6" oil from about a year ago, when I first started doing daily painting... It's called Little Guy.

And here's another little guy (12-second video of Lynx):

$115.00 - Little guy (Ready to Frame)

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Sweet pea in spice jar

Sold.

I was pleased with how this sweat pea painting from last night turned out. I was going for simple and fresh, wanting to represent the feeling of the flower itself. It's in one of those old-fashioned spice jars where the wire on one side comes over and seals the lid down.


And then there's the photo of the other sweet pea...

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Rainier triplet

Lynxmuffin is growing faster than an elm seedling and is developing quite an Attitude--he went from being a little scaredy-kitten hiding in the corner, to launching full-body wrestling attacks on our cat Miss Lemon, who's always up for that (she has "foster-mothered" every kitten we've ever brought into the house). Lynxmuffin is also a Cheese Monster--all you have to do is open the fridge and there he is, begging for cheese. It's the only time he uses his teeny little voice. And he went from being sleepy-cuddly all the time, to becoming a Perpetual Motion Machine, in just a few days.

I wasn't able to post for the last few days--I hope you missed me!--until The Husband finally just made some tweak and said, "It's working now." What would I do without him? It was hard not being able to post. I was in withdrawal. But at least I had C.M. (Cheese Monster) for company.

P.S. After a miraculous three days without rain, a downpour just happened and my studio roof sprang a whole new leak (no, The Husband still hasn't fixed it). A spaghetti pot has been pressed into service. And now it's time for me to go paint.

Sold

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com