I didn’t write this post earlier in the day because my niece came over today and she demanded I make her smile and giggle for four hours.  My apologies.

I’ve been working on this painting for several days.  I’m really pleased with how it turned out.  I worked on this from a photo I took in Detroit.  We were driving down some street and Misia slammed on the brakes and said, “Whoa!  Check out that alley!  It’s perfect!”  So are you, Mis.  So are you.

I’m going to let this painting marinate a little in my brain pan, because I think there’s something in it that will help me to understand the direction of this new series.  I’m going to take a few days off from the studio and paint my friend Katherine’s new apartment.

My dear old friend Holly Rhode  (she blogs here and here) commented on my last blog post, complimenting the economy and pointedness of my movie reviews.  She recalled how I once told her that I’d go to any movie and if asked, probably give it two-thumbs-up simply because I really like going to the movies.  First, I love when friends remember the good stories about you.  Second, it’s true.  I grew up in a movie theater; my dad’s home office was The Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee.  I spent countless hours there, watching larger-than-life images in the dark.  My major professor in grad school was convinced that my understanding of painting, specifically portraiture, was cinematically influenced.  I think that’s true.  And I count myself super lucky that my dad didn’t work in a microscope factory.