The Twelfth of Never, Evermore – Sunset (Second Version), Wednesday, 12 December 2012

William Van Doren, THE TWELFTH OF NEVER, EVERMORE. Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va. Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

A second version of 12-12-12. Wasn’t it the great Ernie Banks who said “Let's paint two!”? . . . O.K., maybe not . . .

The Twelfth of Never – Sunset, Wednesday, 12 December 2012

William Van Doren, THE TWELFTH OF NEVER. Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va. Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

Immediately after watching the sunset, and before painting, I posted this on The Very Rich Hours Facebook page:

Just a note in passing, in case I'm never heard from again after tonight: As people who live around here may attest, I just witnessed the most strangely beautiful, or beautifully strange, sunset I can remember. And, of course, I have seen a few. Wish me luck, because it was the kind of sky that could make a painter consider turning in their badge. I'm not sure a painting can come near it, but we'll see, soon enough.

The number of people who commented on this, and the fact that many of them had seen the same sunset and were waiting for the painting, points up something I’ve never mentioned, which is the nature of this series as a performance. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, and sometimes it falls somewhere between. And I probably can’t make those judgments.

Almost Past Twilight – Sunset/Twilight, Tuesday, 11 December 2012

William Van Doren, ALMOST PAST TWILIGHT. Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va. Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

Yellow splotches courtesy of camera. Something about light hitting brushstrokes at a certain angle.

Celebrating “The End of the World” with Gypsy Zen

I’m honored that Gypsy Zen in the south of France has selected my November 28th twilight painting to publicize a very special way of observing the “end of the world” on December 21st. They’ll be having tea, dancing to flamenco guitars, and meditating on personal renewal, in a yurt on a farm in the Camargue, outside Arles. Gypsy Zen apparently is more than just a name, as their host is from the Romani people and studied with the Dalai Lama. If you’re in the area, drop in, and stay – til the end of the evening, or of the world, whichever comes first!

That’s How the Light Gets In – Sunset, Monday, 10 December 2012

William Van Doren, THAT’S HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN. Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va. Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

Wet Paint – Rain at Sunset, Sunday, 9 December 2012

William Van Doren, WET PAINT. Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va. Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.