early santa fe

the plaster walls and lighting were alive with our colorful paintings and the space open like a grand museum for our first opening. Feb 14, valentines day. cold and rainy, but we not to be deterred, were there early, the walls ablaze with color, light, and expectations . ten people came, a rainstorm hitting the little building, blessing us, the gallery little more than a garage with an office where i kept my art books and african sculpture, my lucky piece. i painted there everday, splashing everywhere in a fury of activity, stripped down to my shorts i was a painting machine letting loose color, more color, out with color jamie, let it rip and roar and dont stop anything that comes up and swirl , drip, rip and dont stop now baby your on to something. i don t know what it is but i dont care, with my shirt off, i m a painting savage and i m loving every brush stroke and every painting, until i put them out in the courtyard and look at them and wow thats really bad and then paint it out and start over, and that too being a great part of the act of creation and chaos colliding, and not being attached to the outcome. paint out the bones, whatever comes up follow, and follow, dont think, paint. great heady times. jgk