Matryoshkas

Martin and I spent a blissful morning sitting at the window (with Tom waits growling gloriously from the tape deck)painting these Matryoshka dolls (yes I did say 'tape deck') - for Isabella's birthday. I bought the blank shells from Babushkas in the city - they come in sets of 5 or 7. It's such a lovely thing to do - make them personal - something to keep for a life time. We didn't prime them with white paint initially but I will next time for ease of drawing and for the sake of using less paint. The doll behind the blank shells in the first photograph, was a parting gift when last I left work. Note 'last' left work...I'm thrice employed at the same establishment- so gorgeous are the folk there, customers included, so stimulating the conversation, so excellent the tunes, so free flowing the wit and so wholesome the produce, that I see no reason to seek employment elsewhere. I digress - but I should say that the Matryoshka gift came with a tailored poem so fine that if found it shall be posted.

The Thangka painting and the Matryoshka painting have the same attraction for me - Matryoshka dolls have only been around for about 100 hundred years - the act of making something that has deep historical/cultural/spiritual meaning. Though I haven't a direct cultural connection with either of them I feel connected on other levels and the process is leading me closer to an expression of my own. Which is what most of us are experiencing to varying degrees of progress aren't we ? (insert inspired comment here...)It's only time these days, standing in the way of more paintings. The time will come and meanwhile the visions are plentiful and the precious hours spent painting are sweet.