Cheap Joe’s and the lustful lure of the art supply stores.

Let it be known that art supply stores are traps for anyone who’s ever picked up a brush/pencil/etc and declared themselves ‘artist’. Metalsmiths are twice as bad, actually, since they may be drawn to both hardware (“I’m not going to buy anything... Aww, lookie at the cute pair of pliers! … Well, maybe just this one thing. Though, come to think of it, I –could- use more steel wool and copper wire..”) and art supply stores.

It’s obvious what the above statement is leading up to. I went along with two Wednesday morning painters (both-teachers at a local museum, ironically) to Cheap Joe’s in Boone. The town itself was sort of blah, but the store was delightful. Therein, a number of items (wanted, not necessarily needed), was acquired. I’ve manfully passed over a display of iridescent inks, for the record.. and brushes. At least, most of them. Thicker liners were actually on the agenda.

For the rest of the purchases, there is absolutely no excuse.





Painting

The second purple panel is finished. The problem with it is, that I’ve put it down and picked it up a day/two later way too many times. It shows, in effect not being very consistent throughout. It seems that I’m also moving further and further away from the principle of khokhloma. The principle is to fill up as much space as possible, while still retaining harmonious composition. Basically, I feel that the individual aspects of this painting stand out too much.

Ah well!