Mineral Painting Inspiration and Break Through

This is cut from a Chinese vase or snuff bottle. It was given to me by my grandfather who said paintings like these were his mentors in his own watercolor paintings. He also liked the way the Chinese held aging in high regard. This painting also inspires me to make Tango dancers on porcelain and to paint all ages of dancers most especially dancers of many years.

This tile penned with mineral paint last week in Antonia Acock's class is much more spontaneous than my earlier works because I drew out of my head. Previously I was copying from my drawings.

Today for two hours I painted on the plate trying the second step of the filtering technique. Minerals and mineral oil was applied and then some of the color was picked up with the brush leaving the under painted colors to glow from underneath. easier said than done. I did more dancers twirling in the gardenia bloom. Next Monday I promise to post a picture of the plate no matter if it doesn't turn out.

Picking Blue Berries, sumi on rice paper, 1979