May 04, 

Celebrating CINCO DE MAYO under a beautiful MOONLIT NIGHT tonight.

For my latest encaustic works I needed a new Butane pencil torch, wax pencils and substrates. This  took me to the Blick Art Supplies store in the Delmar LOOP of University City, MO.  Mission accomplished enabled by Blick's good employees I walked back to studio and set to work. 

Above photographs of Red Ohio Buckeye outside my studio will provide  textures, palette and range of tone for my next encaustic works. Years ago outside my studio the white blooming Ohio Buckeye was my  favorite of the many trees. Its yearlong beauty included spring, summer and autumn colors, an orderly branching of grace and airflow and toys, the Buckeyes for dogs and children to fetch. Today revisiting spring's Red Buckeye above, it blooms against springs' various green leaves with touches of soft blue sky. 

Another still life, so delicious, is this setting of my cobalt blue painted iron chair, a cobalt glass vase with gobs of the antique pink Peonies original to this old house's garden. Are you enjoying the delicious scent of Peony while taking in cool blues and many greens of chairs and table legs, the rich Marigold painted door  and duller stained deck? Yes, another palette.  Hmmm  merging the two palettes feels lovely. What do you think?

I plan to start work with acrylic on watercolor paper today ...after:

 THE HORROR OPERA, SWEENEY TODD, served with  breakfast this morning by Phyllis Hyken.

I'm looking forward to a breakfast talk by my long time friend, Phyllis Hyken,  pianist and duetist, tomorrow on the opera, Sweeney Todd. A perfect subject to enjoy over a  meal don't you think?