Thursday, February 7, 2013

Sunset Place

watercolor on 8" x 10" Daler-Rowney Langton Prestige NOT paper






Years ago, four of us were playing Scrabble. My brother-in-law laid down a word. The word was "ta" (rhymes with "pa"). It was triple word, triple letter, triple this, triple that.

"That's not a word!" we objected.

"Yes it is."

"Okay, what does it mean?"

"Uppity, hoity-toity, high society - we say that's "ta".

"Ah."

"Are you going to challenge it?" he asked, staring us down.

We decided not to challenge. And it was not a real word. Although now we have used the term for more than twenty years. He got his points, and he deserved them.

If you want to see a good example of "ta", go to L.W. Roth's wonderful post about the Washington elite in the early 1800's here.

My last post was a "ta" post, I suppose. And I've been fairly long-winded at the artist museum chats down here as well.  So I felt personally chastised when in his Twice-Weekly Letter, Robert Genn said about artists: "[T]here's always a long-winded, self-ordained pontificator. As Lao Tzu (4th Century BCE) pointed out, "Those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know."

Is that me? I hope not.

So this will not be a "ta" post, and about the watercolor, I will only say this: This was my second attempt to paint a building called Sunset Place in South Miami. I didn't consider the first attempt to be publishable. At first I laid the most beautiful washes. Simplicity was my byword. But to me it was boring. So I began making changes, adding colors, spots and streaks, and only then did I consider that it was done. So yes, I can lay a simple wash. It's just that you will never, ever see it.

There. I'm done.

If there was too much pontificating then you now know what to say: "Ta!" (while rolling your eyes)

30 comments:

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  3. You have your own style, no need for simple washes!
    'Ta' also means thank you in England (it exists in the Oxford dictionary too)...
    so ta for that Dan!

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  4. I like the Philosophy saying. So with that I'll shut up and look intelligent!

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    1. Me too. So many words of wisdom by Lao Tzu, that I have the Tao Te Ching on my phone.

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  5. Yep, I was just going to say what Cathy did. Ta very much...

    and I like your drawing!

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    1. Ta for coming by! I appreciate your opinion - okay, so I'll like it too!

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  6. I LOVE Scrabble... and I will file 'ta' away for use on a triple everything square :-) I LOVE this painting... especially the sky (sky always difficult for me so I appreciate others who can do one well)... and your cars... which actually look like cars... I usually use my artistic license to delete cars (which I can't draw) from the picture. Oh dear... I'm doing that 'ta' thing aren't I? LOL

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    1. Fun story. True. But at the end of the game when there are few points left. I think ta won't yield you too many points. I am totally afraid of cars - totally - I almost left them out. The only thing that has saved me for cars are lessons from Frank Eber's blog that details should be left out of them. Then they look like cars! Go figure. Glad you love it!

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  7. what I so love about your work is that it always looks and feels like Florida. There is that special light...and somehow you really capture the color of the FL light. One question...what is NOT paper?
    I can understand how your bro-in-law "sold" the ta word...say something with enough confidence and conviction and it definitely becomes believable!

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    1. Thank you. ("Ta" in England, apparently - those British). Thanks for your observation. I feel like a Miami artist and would be proud to represent the area if anyone knew me here. lol. The funny thing is that when I painted this, the sky here in Miami was this totally solid uninterrupted rich blue. I don't think I could ever be so calm.

      NOT paper - You know, this manufacturer on the wrapper seems to proudly proclaim and prefer reference to it as NOT paper. It is just another term for cold-pressed, which I used because cold-pressed didn't fit.

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  8. I'm going to sound simple here but pretty colors!

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  9. Double up that Ta and you have an entirely new thing there don't ya? Hehe.
    Lovely, lovely watercolor! Very nice.

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    1. Yeah, Pamo, those British .. It's no wonder we had to come here and invent our own dialects. "Ta" and "ta ta". Pleeez. Glad you like it - I know you prefer the ink stuff - there will be more of those too.

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  10. I agree with Celeste. Your work really does reflect your surroundings - or, at least the way your perceive them and that's great in my book! Ta!!

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    1. It is an interesting point you all raise. I wonder if I moved whether these outdoor pictures would change?

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  11. Glad that you painted this scene a second time because it is a delightful piece.

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    1. Thank you! (or Ta!) "Delightful" is definitely a word I like!

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  12. Dan, I do not think of you as a pontificater. I enjoy reading your comments and your insight into paintings, etc. I also like your paintings...especially the one you uploaded here. I do say 'ta' sometimes. I read lots of English mysteries and they say 'ta, ta' as a farewell to someone. We have an English women in our swimming class and instead of saying 'by' at the end of class, I say 'ta ta.'

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    1. Thanks, anon. I don't know why when I seriously describe something about my art I'm a bit embarrassed about it, like I'm being "ta" or something. Thanks for visiting! Ta ta.

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  13. Krista Meister said "Well, who knew?? Now my vocabulary is definitely expanded. Great story."

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    1. Keep coming back, Krista - so much you will learn!

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  14. Lovely colours Dan, really shows the warmth and light. In Yorkshire Ta is an abbreviation of thank-you.

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    1. Thanks Debra! Definitely a lot of light going on here. Ta. (as in Yorkshire thank you "ta", not the uppity "ta" - oh, well, you know..)

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  15. Pontificate away! It's a wonderful painting; I agree with Celeste about your "light."

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    1. With your permission, I shall! It's nice that I do Miami light! That's pretty neat to know. :)

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  16. I like your pontificating, and always save your posts for a break with a cuppa, to fully enjoy your words and pics.

    Like the colours, especially in the top half of this painting.

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