Painting Windows with a History

Welcome to the studio; painting was fun this week. I remembered who, what, when, where of the windows. Each window represents something to me. They hold images, sounds, smells, feelings for me. I lingered while painting them. The door is special also – in it’s odd little way.

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The easel images are for you to be able to get a glimpse of the painting of the same subject over the mantle. For me, this is a diptych long in the making. Always resisted painting the house a little, because so many people already have. I have not painted the widow’s walk, because that has been what made it “famous” and the subject of so many paintings.

It was there during the first shots of the Civil War and they had a son on duty at Fort Moultrie. Hard to believe they would not be up in the widow’s walk when the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter. Abner Doubleday wrote a wonderful account of that first night. Reminiscences of Forts Sumter and Moultrie in 1860 to 1861 read it free here. They were real people – Not just an act of defiance. He also wrote about his wife – what it was like for her and what she did the night the first shots were fired.

I wonder if Abner knew my great, great, great Uncle Eugene Stanislaus Blanchard. He was the bugler. In the military, buglers historically played a key role in communicating commands to soldiers. This included signals for assembly, “to arms,” and “lights out,” and is still used today, for example, to play “Taps” at military funerals.

Last week finished up like this.

Working title: “Comings and Goings”

This week was spent on the the windows mostly. Still not completely finished. Do you mind getting in the weeds with me a little? The windows have a high level of contrast. The clapboards got their first coat of paint this week. Mostly a warm glaze that will glow from under the next coats. Started getting the porch’s columns in the right height and width. They are still a little wonky, but I know where they are going and that’s enough for now. Lost a little bicycle this week and where did the rocker go?

My apologies for the photo quality (taken at night).

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We got a chance to visit some dear friends in the Upstate. Oh boy, it was a good opportunity to get some beautiful photos of my best paintings – and I missed it. Big DUH moment when I got home. Hopefully, there will be another chance. : )

Here are some inspiring photos from the trip. South Carolina is such a beautiful state.

Coming

Coming

Going

Going

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Thank you for being here each week. I love sharing my painting practice with you.

Michel

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