Churchgoing

As I may or may not have mentioned, I'm not too much of a church-goer at this time in my life. This church, Holy Family, is as close to being my church as any church I guess. They send me collection envelopes. You'll probably find me here on Christmas and Easter. I remember taking one of my reluctant sons to church here week after week, and he would complain about how long an hour is. And I'd say, look around at all the wonderful things God has done for you, and an hour a week just doesn't seem like much to give. But I feel slightly less certain now, about God, and what we can give God. And how long an hour is. Many of us go through these changes. I think there is ultimate and absolute truth, and we cannot know what it is. I think faith is a marvelous and powerful thing that doesn't necessarily reflect truth. This is obvious; people believe different things.

I think churches are beautiful. I love buildings, and there's nothing more lovely than a building built to honor the creator of us all.

I'm reasonably happy with the painting. It's a little smaller, and small paintings go much more quickly. I thought it looked a little washed out, like somebody had already hung it in the sun for several years.

This is probably the best known thing that I live close to. I think the Rose Bowl was named for the Rose Parade, because there are no roses around the Rose Bowl. There are palm trees and eucalyptus. The stadium is home to a New Year's Day college football game. It is UCLA's home field. Things besides college football happen there too. I saw a World Cup game in 1994. There are concerts. July 4th fireworks. High school graduations. There is a huge flea market the second Sunday of each month. This was painted the day before the flea market, so it's all decked out with its signs and banners. There's a bit of remodeling going on; you can see a crane.

I'm not too mad for this. It's a busy painting. There's an awful lot going on. I really think I like the gloomy sky best. Although I did intentionally spatter a bit of bright paint on it to kind of add to the festive chaotic feel.

House Painting

It has been a few weeks since I went out and painted. I went to paint last week, but I ended up just walking around and taking photographs of things I might paint. Momentum is important; it is the key to many things.

This was painted at Heritage Square Museum in Northeast Los Angeles. In the 1960s, when construction was booming in Los Angeles, a city commission and a foundation got some land and saved some houses. I think of Heritage Square as a retirement home for houses. Nobody lives in the houses. They are arrayed in a landscape where nobody drives and everything is old. It's peaceful, except a lot of chickens have established a home there and there is some crowing. There are also children chasing the chickens because their parents brought them for a little culture, and they are bored silly. I wasn't bored. I was happy as could be quietly painting as chickens and children ran around me.