I like to balance my art and design work–they can inform each other well that way, and counterweight each other’s forms of concentration. My time recently has been heavily focused on design work, which has provided a constant sense of urgency. I haven’t been able to re-enter painting, nor have I wanted to–it was important to keep up the level of intensity and focus to pull these design engagements though, and when I am involved in a painting, I think about it even when not working on it. But I could feel an imbalance creeping in. Fortunately my team and I wrapped up a few engagements and I was able last night and tonight to get back into and wrap up the beekeeping painting as well. I masked the highlights in the bee suit, dropped some wet in wet colors for the mid tones, then got into the shadows and the face behind the mask. Getting the face was difficult and I worked it too much before looking at John Singer Sargent’s watercolors for guidance on portraying a face quickly. These few swipes were how I settled it. I think the head might be too big, but I am satisfied with it for tonight. I like the way the suit ended up. It is a little more colorful than real, dreamlike in the midst of some concrete things, such the trailer, but that’s important. Beekeeping is magic as much as reality, as is Lakeville, and even, to be a little silly about it, as is life.

Thanks for reading.