The love of Fairlield Porter(1907-1975)-

When I don't know where to turn to..., I turn to my sketchbooks. Last year I made a series of black and white watercolour studies in my sketchbook.

I painted casual arrangements around the house. I love the way watercolour 'sinks and spreads very fast' into the thin sketchbook paper. It's a challenge...

The small studies were inspired by the work of Fairfield Porter, which I was thinking about at the  time. I believe I went through every book on his work in our city's library system.  I love the way F.P. painted around his home (or right outside his home). The portraits of his children, wife and friends ( male lovers?). The sittings are casual, the sitters are usually doing something quite normal, like eating at the breakfast table, reading, playing the piano, lying in bed with a headache- I guess that's what I mostly delight in , F. Porter painting 'life as usual'. The above is a rough copy of a painting of his daughter Lizzie, at the breakfast table- I studied the composition and the way he worked with values- I felt my work was (and gulp!- often still is...-  wishy-washy- so I always have to be extra vigilant about my values)-
I have also made a note in my sketchbook that I saw similarities here with Bonnard's 'The Lamp'. I don't remember this, but I will look it up again. Fun.

This is another rough, little copy of  a F.Porter painting-'Island Farmhouse-(1969)- the dog sitting in the shade on a hot, sunny day- while this is a value study,  the most gorgeous element in the actual painting is F.Porter's use of yellow -In my notes:' he has just squeezed out the very essence of this. Summer lemonade.'

Best thing to contemplate in mid-February!

Hugs-