Sick of seeing the same painting over and over again? It’s called the Groundhog Day Effect. I am so done with this painting but for some reason it’s not done with me. I keep fuzting with it. Futzing: Yiddish meaning STOP ALREADY! Leave it alone.
You can see the earlier versions in the previous post. I gave the flowers more depth and I worked on the sky a bit.
A number of friends & co-workers have been complaining about being tired, not wanting to do anything, not having any energy. Dr. King (one of my other personalities) has a diagnosis: FEBRUARY. The worst month. Short but cruel. One is tired of winter, darkness, colds, flu and all the other things that go along with February. If you’ve ever watched Seinfeld on TV you pronounce FEBRUARY the way Jerry pronounced “NEWMAN”.
There were only two really good things so far in February.
- The puppy bowl. Anyone in the US who doesn’t get all caught up in the nonsense of the Super Bowl can now at least watch the puppy bowl. Who doesn’t love watching puppies romp and play? As an aside, if anyone is curious about why the lights went out after the half-time show it was cause Beyonce used up all the electricity.
- Groundhog Day. Why we think that some icky rodent called a groundhog, also known as a woodchuck or whistle-pig, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots can predict the future is beyond me. My biggest laugh came as I was channel surfing on groundhog day (Feb. 2nd) and came across the Weather Channel’s huge banner that said: DECISION 2013 Groundhog Day. Were they kidding? This is on par with the presidential election? And don’t eve get me started about the 24 hour News Cycle when talking heads go on and on about the same stuff over and over and over and over and over again. It’s like the movie “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray.
To all my blog friends. I’ve been having a lot of trouble lately commenting on your blogs. I’m trying to work it out. Please don’t think I haven’t been visiting all of you. I hope this will be fixed soon.
17 comments
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February 7, 2013 at 2:10 pm
Irina
Doctor King, your opinion about November? When winter is collecting powers to hit really strong?
February 7, 2013 at 2:27 pm
Carol King
Talk a vacation to Spain.
February 7, 2013 at 2:41 pm
AKLizzy
The painting is still lovely!!!! The best remedy I can offer for yucky February is a new great nephew…He’ll be here soon!
it is gray and dreary here, so new shades are strictly psychosomatic!
I just bought a new pair of sunglasses to try and bust out of the February-rut
February 7, 2013 at 2:46 pm
Beth Parker
LOVE this painting!!!! I love to read your blog, too! You always make me giggle~!
February 7, 2013 at 3:08 pm
Jana Bouc
I always enjoy your humor and the painting is a stunner. There’s a fine line between futzing and overworking and getting it right. The only thing worse is something I’ve been doing–I sold a commissioned painting that I hated and could see all the flaws. It was on a tight deadline and so I knew I wouldn’t have time to do it over (and I was going through what you describe for February in December and was feeling really negative and full of insecurities). The buyer supposedly loved it but I knew it was really bad. And since then I keep futzing with it and reworking it in my head. It really needs to be done over. I would actually be happy to paint it again now that I have the time and send it to them, but I don’t think it’s a good idea because it would mean the buyers and the person they gifted it to would feel bad about liking the first one or having gifted a bad painting or something. See what I mean? At least futzing on paper is doable!
February 7, 2013 at 5:53 pm
Alice Walsh
Carol, I’m with you. FEBRUARY! I think the weather channel was trying to be funny with that “Groundhog Day Decision 2013″ banner. Maybe the cold is sapping your appreciation of parody. Or satire? I always get the two confused. FEBRUARY!
February 7, 2013 at 9:29 pm
jimmyboi2
February in New York is spelled E-N-N-U-I. Here, it’s pretty excellent– we DO have days in the 40s on occasion, but that’s just to cool off the excessive sunshine. Florida awaits you! Why don’t you become snowbirds?!?!
Lovely painting– I think your landscapes are your best work.
xoxoxoxox
PS Come to Florida already!
February 7, 2013 at 9:41 pm
Carrington brown
your posts always bring a smile to my face-esp my dreary feb face.
hey! i have a shoe at a gallery here in richmond. just hope i sell enough to pay for the framing!!!! When are you coming south?
February 7, 2013 at 9:41 pm
Carrington brown
ready for the blizzard tomorrow?
February 7, 2013 at 9:42 pm
Carrington brown
forgot to say how wonderful your watercolor is !! congrats
February 8, 2013 at 3:43 pm
kk2n777
At least we have one more holiday/long weekend in February, Wait until we hit the dry spell of March and April, that’s when I get antsy. Stay safe throughout Blizzard Nemo.
February 9, 2013 at 3:24 pm
hannekekoop
I like this painting very much, Carol. Those lovely plants catch the eye immediately. I wish you an early spring with looots of sunlight.
February 12, 2013 at 12:37 am
lesliepaints
I like that you went back in and darkened the foreground flowers. Made this appear more like the flowers are right there in front of you. It lightened those background trees (or you did) which gives this more of an appearance of looking through a window.
I don’t know if I should wish for sun and warmer weather after what we were treated to last year (80′s in March and the worst drought I can remember). …but I certainly know what you mean about February, darkness and the flu.
February 18, 2013 at 11:25 am
Nic McLean
Carol, your friends and co-workers must at least be grateful they have you and your humour to cheer them up on these dank February days! I love this painting – it makes me think of central park and staring up at all the massive skyscrapers like the amazed tourists from small towns that we were!
February 25, 2013 at 8:58 pm
frankeber
Nice job on the painting, Carol – I am probably the worst when it comes to commenting. So, an apology goes right back to you for not visiting more frequently and reading your awesome posts!!! Keep it up!
April 10, 2013 at 2:45 pm
Sonya Chasey
Hi Carol – haven’t been looking at blogs much lately – thanks for the visit to mine. I don’t find this overworked at all – in fact it’s quite fresh & crisp, light & airy without being weak.
May 19, 2013 at 7:46 pm
Titanium Baby! Part Two | Carol King: Painting, Drawing, Complaining
[…] Normally I stare at the brick buildings across the street from my apartment. But I had view’s galore this week. In the hospital it was a view of the 59th Street Bridge (a/k/a Queensborough Bridge) which Simon and Garfunkel sang about and were feeling groovy. And at Judy’s I had a wonderful view which I painted here. […]