24 January 2008. Luminous band of yellow-white tops off expansive mass of even gray cloud. Filigree branches laced just in front. Two small birds. darting, very high. Almost lost...
Yesterday: recalcitrant and engaging. First class. Chaotic jumble of last year's things--we move them out. A new beginning. Setting out the colors, Cadmium Red Medium (hue okay), maybe Cadmium Orange (important for me). Then Alizarin--a bluer red, but fugitive, followed by the earth colors: Yellow Oxide--pasty off-tone gold, and Raw Sienna--Italia in the making. Raw Umber, too (why always so humble and so valuable?), then Burnt Sienna--Italy again. Burnt Umber--deep, withdrawn (you'll need a good brand of pigment here), followed by Ultramarine (the queen of blues). Prussian Blue--optional, reborn as Pthalo, leaning toward the green, with a patina of copper, but watch out--very high in chroma. Then, Jenkins Green--not too yellow, not too sharp. Also, two whites: zinc (for tints--always transparent) and titanium (covering all)...
Across the room, Nirmanpreet--backlighted against the north windows. Her chestnut hair, very dark, maybe with a touch of red, and a soft high-necked blouse--blue verging on crimson--a red from within, veiled but insistent--impossible to measure...
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