Studio shot of Mug Painting in Progress- Stage 1

I associate these mugs with a warmth that seemed appropriate for wintertime. I’ve painted one of these guys before in Still Life with Webster’s.

Studio shot of Mug Painting in Progress- Stage 2

I was attracted to the set-up by the way the handles of the mugs overlapped- hence “Interlocking Rings”. I was thinking of this delightful Vi Hart video, part of her series on the connections between drawing, doodling and math.

The noisy studio in the post title refers to the dialogue that happens as the painting is created. What could be a quiet, meditative process turns out to be a noisy one with cameos by lots of ghosts and voices. As I studied the top of the mug on the right, I was struck by how dark it gets near the rim. I felt that heavy darkness made me look ‘under’ it and created a welcome sense of tension in the painting. This idea of looking under a line or shape in a painting has long haunted me. It’s straight out of Diebenkorn, Ocean Park- a painting like “Ocean Park No. 129″ where he gets you to look under the lines at the top like ducking your head under a clothesline.

Richard Diebenkorn- Ocean Park no. 129

The dialogue and free-association are part of the pleasures of the painting process for me. I’m hoping to wrap this one up soon. It’s getting pretty close.

Kermit lost is a thicket of purple blocks.

“Ship”

“Power Station”