  I just purchased this book on Amazon. I had read a review, and since I just retired from a teaching career and am able to put forth the time I've wanted to my fine art career, I am looking forward to this read. My family's roots in the land and hard work seemed mirrored here. Amazon info is below:
Distinguished poet Donald Hall reflects on the meaning of work, solitude, and love "The best new book I have read this year, of extraordinary nobility and wisdom. It will remain with me always."—Louis Begley, The New York Times "A sustained meditation on work as the key to personal happiness. . . . Life Work reads most of all like a first-person psychological novel with a poet named Donald Hall as its protagonist. . . . Hall's particular talents ultimately [are] for the memoir, a genre in which he has few living equals. In his hands the memoir is only partially an autobiographical genre. He pours both his full critical intelligence and poetic sensibility into the form."—Dana Gioia, Los Angeles Times "Hall . . . here offers a meditative look at his life as a writer in a spare and beautifully crafted memoir. Devoted to his art, Hall can barely wait for the sun to rise each morning so that he can begin the task of shaping words."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Donald Hall’s Life Work has been strangely gripping, what with his daily to do lists, his ruminations on the sublimating power of work. Hall has written so much about that house in New Hampshire where he lives that I’m beginning to think of it less as a place than a state of mind. I find it odd that a creative mind can work with such Spartan organization (he describes waiting for the alarm to go off at 4:45 AM, so eager is he to get to his desk) at such a mysterious activity (making a poem work) without getting in the way of itself.”—John Freeman’s blog (National Book Critics Circle Board President)
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  Close up of background. The start of a wintery piece-!-the background just suggested to me a dark winter evening. Funny, because we have a gorgeous spring in progress here in Montana and I've been enjoying every minute! My thoughts are of a blue heron. I've added the undercoat here. It will be fun to see where this leads. I've got a fairly certain image in mind, though.
  I feel like the oil spill piece I've been working on is almost finished. I haven't signed it yet, so........the layers I added I think have increased the visual message of the incident.   Just as in life, adding layers makes for a more interesting composition. A white layer made from tires-!-adds a patina of interest. I painted a thinned white layer of oil paint on the piece, then positioned it under my car tire and BOOM!-there ya go! The oil spill occurred in winter, so I'm mimicking the effect. The piece still feels unfinished to me, so I'll see where this layer leads too......   
I received the flourescent orange oil paint in the mail from the store in Quebec--and it was 'spot on'. The tube had me a bit concerned, as you can see from the packaging. The paper ink was dull. I undercoated my area on the painting with white and the orange really popped! Next concern? Lightfastness.  Working in oils has been an adventure. ..and slow going! These studies have helped with the learning curve, though. Painting in layers like I prefer take for some serious drying time .  |
KTAs a working artist/retired art educator, I've always lived the artful life. Let's share! Archives
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