In Memory

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Vincent Edward Cascia

Born October 7, 1956
Died July 26, 2009
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More Art in Progress

Here is an update on this piece, which has appeared in earlier versions in earlier entries. I've fixed what I messed up and might have improved things overall. Will put aside for a few days to review with a fresh eye.



This is another of the series using the Crown of Thorns plant from my garden as the subject matter. I think I'll call the series Night Watch (Crown of Thorns).


Another of the series in progress...



And another in progress..

Swimming to Cambodia

...or at least to the other end of the pool forty times. This is where I swim daily. Refreshing and invigorating. Enhances my "little grey cells," as Hercule Poirot would say.

Agnes Martin

I love what Agnes Martin said about making art - that it brought her joy. That is how I feel, too.

Art Update

This is the second in the "garden" series. Finished, probably.



Here is today's version of the first mixed media piece in the "My Garden (working title)" series. The first version is shown below in yesterday's entry. As I look at the two versions, I realize I lost some of the energy of yesterday's version today and that I like the stronger red in the center of the trees from yesterday's version, too. So, back to work.

Work in Progress

My Garden (working title)
ink, watercolor and collage on paper

This is stage two of this piece, which is 15 inches by 15 inches. I'll put this aside to dry now. Tomorrow, I can take a fresh look at it to decide where to go from here.

Guard Cat On Duty

Glove Story

Who Is This Mystery Artist?

Joe came home from the swap with this amazing intaglio print. We are thrilled to have it! But we can't read the signature, so we don't know who the artist is. (Note to self: make sure to sign my work legibly!) Can anyone out there help us identify the artist?



Here is a close-up of the signature.

I'm Back... After a Hectic Ten Days. Missed You!

Can't even report that I've gotten to spend time in the studio, so all my projects have been on hold. This is a common issue for most artists. It is always a challenge to balance precious creative time with everything else we need and want to do.



One On-Hold Project: "The Myopic Husband"

What you see here is the only screenprint (in a working edition of 60) with the last layer - the brownish color defining the character. I am not happy with it - it is bland, uninteresting, and the brownish color isn't as dynamic as I had hoped. So, I quit printing after seeing this result and have headed back to the "drawing board" to revamp the final layer for the rest of the unfinished prints in the edition.



Another On-Hold Project: "My Garden" (working title)

I'm adding areas of water color on top of the first layer of screenprinted transparent color. After that, I've got 4 or 5 more layers of screenprinted transparent color to print on top. I always write notes in the margin of my working draft...they help me remember how I fleshed out the image in my mind and serve as a guide to the rest of my work once I get back to it.

I'll keep you posted...

Cry (2), 2001
mixed media on paper
variation, 2009

Aurora Daily - http://auroradaily.blogspot.com

It's a blog I recommend, about life in a small town in South Africa, with lots of pictures. The writer is a retired architect who is interested in art and most everything. It is a wonderful glimpse at life lived far away.

Progress In Both Studios

...but still a long way to go on each of my projects. However, Thursday's brainstorm - an "aha!" moment - proved to be the right idea for getting started on the mixed media abstract garden piece I've been struggling with and I liked what was coming forward as I worked on that image today. Project 2, a small screenprint, seems to be developing nicely, too. Project 3, another mixed media piece, is still in my head.



I've been working in the printmaking area at LBCC this summer while my studio is out of commission. But it won't be long now, because the contractor began his part today. See the proof in the picture above: his tools and ladders in my empty studio, all ready to go.

Great Reunion With A Good Friend

Yippee! I enjoyed a wonderful three hour lunch yesterday with Cathy Baird and her husband, Stan Karp, who were in town with their son, Paul, for his hockey tournament. I'm so happy to have reconnected with Cathy!

Here is a "now" photo (bad picture of me, but good of lovely Cathy). See a previous entry for our "then" photos from fifth grade.

A Rare Look Inside Artists' Studios

Our biannual event happens the first weekend in October. Free and fun! To see the list of participating artists and for more information, go to www.midcitystudiotour.com

An Artist's Life Is Not All Glamour

Lips2, 2008
transfer drawing

I spent most of the day in the studio. I'm working on several projects at once: a series of transfer drawings, a four-color screenprint, and a screenprint with watercolor. Most of today's activities were planning, preparation work, image trials, and thinking through how to solve creative problems related to each project.

A Fabulous Week With My Parents

So nice to have my parents in town! Highlights, in photos from top to bottom, included lounging on our patio in perfect Southern California weather, visiting the Long Beach Museum of Art, and dining at one of our favorite outdoor restaurants, Belmont Brewing Company. We also had a marathon movie night, thanks to Netflix, during which we watched three episodes of the Jesse Stone series starring Tom Selleck in the screen adaptation of the mystery novels by Robert B. Parker.