Corona Zen

   So, I'm back to being creative and back to making my best effort to promote what I do. I've been inspired by a book by Hugh MacLeod so I've started working small. Most of my career I've been inspired by the big canvas. Larger than life people in less than realistic colors. I gave the small stuff a try and it's working wonders for me. Small  4" x 6" watercolors. Drawing on the back of index cards. I really enjoy it. I get an idea, try it out, see how it works, find something to adjust, and start on another one. I've probably done close to a hundred of these small watercolors:

I did a lot of line work, which morphed into perspective (the combination of art and math, what more could I want?). Basic lines, extra lines, wild colors, monochromatics, anything that came to mind. I thought about these pretty much all day every day. Some of them started featuring people (?):

I used these to work out lots of ideas. Some, well, some better than others. I also started another Zen project when I got laid off. I had done a bunch of these before, and they morphed a long way from where they started. I really enjoyed them. I would start them in a small sketchbook and work them until the book was done. This time when the book ran out I started doing them on the back of index cards, which has made them even better. If I get off to a bad start now, I just rip it up and start over. Anyway, I called these Corona Zen. I started with one and I've done one every day since then. The other day I posted Corona Zen 90:

It made me stop and think about all that I've been through in the last ninety days. I started with high artistic hopes, only to have them dashed, and then better ones rise from the ashes. These small works have kept me sane. Also, I had a few three picture frames laying around, so I framed some of these small jewels and posted them on Facebook.

 I'm pretty much selling them as fast as I post them. Who'd a thought? I've also done two more Corona Zens since this one and they've taken a new turn:

I thought I'd pretty much "zenned" it all with this style, but, as usual I was wrong. Not the first time. Won't be the last.

AKO ANG HARI
     DOUG