I am spending tons of money on photo equiptment in an effort to save money on photographing my work. I think that the images look good until I compare them with the professional shots of past work. I am giving myself a headache.

I love the work of Bodil Manz. I found a few booklets about her ceramic art that Shannon had sitting around her cubical at work. I have seen her work before, but did not know who she was. Seeing her slick ceramic vessels with modern design made me realize that I strive for polished modern paintings but feel more comfortable making them with a rough twist. Like a Mondrian painting that has been lost in the woods for six years.

Winter is weighing heavily on me. My studio is in chaos due to the fact that I am remodeling the room leading into it. This is soon to be my collage room/office/baby room/library and overall junk room. I managed to finish the painting that I based off a collage, which needed some roughing up, and some scrawly mountains. I realized tonight that my work is best when there is almost a whole painting underneath the layers. I need mountains of sheets of paint layed one on top of the other.

Shannon and I went to Raleigh for our first anniversary. On our way home we stopped by UNC to check out the newly installed artwork from last year's commission. Raleigh has a nice art museum that made the five hour trip worth it. We saw a Katz, Motherwell, Beardon, Richter, Shapiro, Baslitz,(school of)Rembrandt, and so much more. Looking at great art (and my own work out of my studio) can help give me bearings. I am ready to make some new paintings.

My theory is that a painting never bombs, you either give up halfway through or you keep working.