The Containment of Overcast (Sunset, Tuesday, 24 August 2010)

William Van Doren, The Containment of Overcast (Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va.) Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

After looking at last night’s attempt many times, as I kept passing by it, each time I had to admit: Yep, definitely airbrushed custom van material. However, I do think the experiment broke a little something loose that helped in the subsequent painting, shown here.

Big Interior

Clouds roll over the low mountains, gray puffs of steam against the high broken blue and white frame ceiling of this workshop where so much needs to be done.

Anti-Blog

To resist thought, to say no – just say no – to anything spontaneous or creative, to hang your head and half-snooze while wondering, vaguely, if the morning sun will make you sneeze, this way of spending time is time honored.

Risk-Taking Involves Risk ...

As if to prove that painting every sunset in real time and posting it immediately afterwards is something of a high-wire act, I tried something quite a bit different tonight that I don’t think worked. It had to do with the full moon rising while the entire sky was socked in with clouds and light rain. The idea was to pay tribute to the unseen moon, but the result looks to me very much like a spectacular ... uh, how to say ... airbrush painting on the side of a big white custom van. I may change my mind later, I may even show it to you eventually and discuss it, but for the moment I’m inclined to think I may have to give it another shot. To be continued!

Variations on Gray in Search of Gray (Sunset, Monday, 23 August 2010)

William Van Doren, Variations on Gray in Search of Gray (Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va.) Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

I wasn’t sure when I started whether this sunset was going to be “Variations on Gray in Search of the Night” (which seemed kind of obvious) or maybe “Variations on Gray in Search of Peace” (precious). Decided on the title as shown.

In the Woods, Monday, 23 August 2010

To be alive in the woods, and alive to the woods, and living through the woods, to breathe every rib a branch, to walk every bone a living stalk, to see every thought flower or leaf, to absorb Green and Blue and become Green and Blue, may last only a moment, but it’s a moment made to last.