Diptych Modular, painting outside the box

I started thinking of how many possible arangements could be made from this diptych if I turned it four ways interchanging all squares plus leaving the back painting open. I think it must be a calculous mathematical problem and I do not have a quick exact answer. But it must be hundreds of thousands. Today I painted the inner layer of the white modualr and also some of the concave sides of the boxes. It now occurs to me that this could be a mini artist's body of works. A slot could be made in one side of each cradled box and more paintings could be inserted. I could invite people to participate in this modular. I could teach people to paint and arrange colors without them ever having to wet a brush. It would be real paint and not like the light in acomputer monitor.

I am thrilled with finding a special meaning. The femine spirit as I began this a week ago was looking through the window with wet eyes. It was hard to tell if she was on the inside or the outside. I do not want to paint exclusion. So here I paint my femine spirit becoming. I am painting outside of my box.

In 2003 I made this cut-out after Matisse's cut-out dragon in His "The Thousand and One Nights". This is a dragon trying to expand beyond his confinement. I was painting my mother's spirit in her last days in the nursing home. I showed her Matisse's cut-outs and made some similar ones to hang above her bed where she could see them. The Diptych Modular is partly finished and will have a similar feeling and symbolism.

Titles for the new dragon series

THE FINDING DRAGONS SERIES

Everywhere I see dragons shapes in nature. From bottom left moving up and clockwise I give each of these paintings a title. The titles this time will be as close as I get to a narration. I have not found a story in these, though often a story evolves from a series. The titles are:

Unmoving Rock Dragon

Dragon Wearing Rose Petal Wings

Dragon Hiding Behind a Rose Head

Dragon Anticipating the Dawn

Dragon of the Fir Boughs Whispers to a Dragon Cloud

Surf Dragon Splashing

Mist Dragon Sashaying

Inserted framed painting of night lights

Dragon Eyes Flower

Dragon on the Yellow Earth Blows Kisses

Hidden Dragons No More

This one tempts me to make it a happy illustration. Would I then depart from my original goal to make an architectural series? Or can I have both a story and an arch way of painting tiles telling a story? This story is not so meaningful to me personally as the previous one about emerging dragons that I come to embrace. My first intent was to have a fog dragon curling about the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. I could in a book explain about the different manifestations of dragons as described in research sources. But my imagination may be the best direction because I like the next idea of the dragon kissing.

My flaming red eyed one lays down, head turned upside down to blow upward precious dragon kisses. I don't know why he must have a forehead that fools one to think it is the mouth like camafloged animals. Dragons are usually not the hunted ones.

I am painting more for myself. Not for an interior decorator, public art or a book publisher. I will go with my strongest intuition and not be decided entirely by the architectural intention when I first made these press board (masonite) boxes.

Report on Pulling Dragons

The problem is bringing together the cool sky and ocean dragons with the warmer peace rose dragons. They are to be like tiles part of the architectural portal when complete. I am working on the arranging of them as welll as how they are complete in each one.

Break Through Excitement

I appreciate Martha Marshall saying that she liked my new series all ready. I have painted on them a little today. The first strokes on the paintings have a great freshness and a directness I love too. I might pull more dragon forms or leave them hidden. I do like looking at them as part of the architecture. The blocks work as raised tiles might. Here they are casually arranged and I look forward to playing with their placement as well as developing them in relation to each other.

Peace Rose Series and Architecture

I have not decided if I should include the one of the dragons embracing in the series of Peace Rose interpretations.

The cradled Masonite boxes requiring no frame, pose possibilities as architectural elements in my home. Some would say these boxes have a decorative function. Today I have substituted another large box for the one that became a fantasy of me hugging a dragon after a battle that bloodied our noses. But a heavy one is needed at the bottom of the stacked boxes?

I am pleased with this new way of working all six paintings at the same time together. I would like to continue with more to surround the opening between our dining room and entryway.