This painting is starting to get to the point of real inspiration. I hold on to an idea which I call the fabric of imperfection. The fabric of Imperfection holds that something is truly more beautiful for the imperfections bestowed upon it.
Layers of information, one upon the other eventually creating a synergy which defies explanation.
Once upon a time, in a place nestled up against the foothills of the majestic Rocky Mountains there was a boy who believed almost anything was possible. He witnessed impossible things happening all around him, almost all of the time. He would relay the stories of these events to his friends and family and they were often entertained. But the boy sensed that to others they were only stories. The boy, of course was only relaying the facts as they had been presented to him by the world. He began to jot these stories down. Time and time again. So frequently that people who knew the boy began referring to him as artistic. More and more wonder was unleashed upon him. And that wonder he recorded. Because the boy liked to record these wonders in color, and they were colorful, his friends and family began referring to him as a painter and a dreamer. Though to the boy these were not dreams. These records were as real as anything else in the world.
Like any story I suppose the wonders of impossible beauty, impossible happiness, and impossible joy, were descended upon by a different kind of impossibility.
Sublime rage. An inferno of impossible destruction. Tears and loss. His community was beset upon by forces of impossible destruction. Heat and flame, melting solid things. Explosion and smoke. He had friends who lost everything.
The boy was confused by these events. He had never seen this kind of pain and destruction. Then it happened again in an almost diabolical circumstance. As if to quench the heat of flame, a trickle became a rivulet became a rush, became a torrent. This torrent was impossible. So violent, of such force that it had never before been seen by a living sole in the community. The boys friends and family and his community were shaken to the core. And the boy too. He lost much.
Even so, other miracles began to evidence themselves. Unlikely heroes rose and protected. The community gathered in embrace. Souls were awakened from slumber. And events of even more dazzling beauty started to emerge. Poking tentatively through ash. Slowly springing back from the crushing power of the torrent.
This thing was as impossible as any thing that the boy had witnessed. Of course he could never have imagined such a thing. Some one must record this impossible circumstance. Lift it as a shield. Witness the rage and heat and torrent. And tell the story of the beauty, love, friendship and compassion it revealed.
The boy hopes this story is widely 
viewed.
The Boy
Insert random destruction. Prepare for recovery.
First I explode across the canvas with gesso (sticky white paint). This seems particularly appropriate with the Clash, although I have been doing this regularly for some yeas now. Perhaps that predilection is what attracted me to the Clash in the first place. After the gesso is dry, I soak the canvas. This allows some of the watercolor pigment which is lying around the gesso spatter to migrate a little. This effect is subtle but extremely important to me because it gives the work an inexplicable depth and luminosity.
This stage shows the insertion of a version of the British flag and below the making of the flag. It is made out of canvas painted with casien.
Ok A variety of things have taken place here. Partly because I did not take an intermediary photograph. First I abused the painting surface by splashing diluted gesso all over it. Some things got obscured. (you can see it splashed all over the t-shirt) I feel like this is an important step in the production of one of my paintings. It serves a number of functions. One it prevents attachment. Also it can highlight opportunity which can sometimes present its self because of random intervention. I find that random spatter mimics nature. In nature there is an infinite variety of overlay. This patina fascinates me. I seek it out in Art and Architecture.
Next I deepen the color and begin an experimentation on some exposed canvas which was part of the original prep of the painting surface. When I first made the surface I did not have an agenda for the canvas. It was just part of the composition. But I knew from experience that it might add to future opportunities. Bingo. It provides a foundation for the insertion of a composition of flags which is in keeping with my original idea. The British flag resembles the American flag in stripes and color but then there is some branching. Frankly, I find myself wondering why they are so similar, given that at the time our flag was developed we were not on the best terms with the Brits. I think it is an example of bad graphic fore sight.
One thing I try to follow is not to get too attached to the painting as I go along. With that in mind, I add some color. Not gently or with care. ADD THE COLOR. It might not be right. Ok. Add it anyway. I want the work to have a lot of orange in it. I love orange. It is the best! So I add base colors that I think go well and Complement Orange ( in the end). At this stage I take some risks. I don’t know what might happen, but potential destruction of the piece is not unheard of. You can see at the bottom I added some random strands of PVA glue. I think this serves the function of making sure my brain does not try to predetermine the outcome and try to predict beauty. Fact is I am not sure I like it.
I thought it might be interesting for some of my readers to see a painting in motion so here it is. One of my friends is a music freak. and a fan of art. He went to see the Clash when he was a teenager, and ended up hanging out with the band after the concert. They signed his t-shirt.
Wow! the Clash, can you imagine. He gave me the shirt and inquired whether I might make something out of it- Fuck yes.
OK I had performance anxiety and a gestation period of about 6 months ( I love the Clash). But I am started now. So it seemed like a perfect time to check in and share a painting adventure.
First I built the canvas which is multiple watercolor sheets glued to canvas roughly 3’wide by 5′-6″ tall. this is mounted on bamboo rods. I painted the back with gesso to give it some body and to protect against moisture. I also view this type of painting as an artifact. The gesso and canvas add to the substantial nature of this piece of art. When I am done it won’t be a delicate watercolor. More like a kick ass piece of canvas. Durable. Not requiring glass or protection. Art au-natural.
Then I sketched in my idea which has to do with a British Rock band challenging American (and British) world views on politics consumption and what ever. Admittedly vague. For me it is not important to know every detail to begin.
La Verguensa 