garbage can — Blog — Geoff Watson

I returned to the Bethesda intersection I inhabited a few days ago, but this time I painted a different corner cafe — Bacchus of Lebanon, on Norfolk Avenue. I stupidly knocked over my easel several times, and the third time I lost my favorite brush down a storm drain — arrrrgh! It was a No. 7 Eclipse long-handle flat from Rosemary Co. That brush and I have been through a lot of paintings together. It put me in a grumpy mood. (It didn’t help when a passerby sought to reassure me that the brush would make good gnawing material for the local rats.)

I still managed a respectable painting. The idea was to showcase the umbrella and its strange jungle of plants, juxtaposed with urban features like street signs and garbage cans. But if I paint this scene again, I might try leaving out the plants for a simpler composition. Also, I forgot to put flowers in the flower pots! I thought of it after the sun was already setting, and I could no longer see anything. :) I might add them tomorrow.

Geoff Watson, “Bacchus of Lebanon,” June daily painting #15, oil on panel, 9” x 12,” 2019.

May the 4th be with you! It’s Star Wars Day, so I pulled out my trusty bust of Darth Vader, put him on top of a garbage can in my driveway, and painted his portrait. He’s a pretty good model: he sits still and he doesn’t take breaks.

That said, I think the artist should err on the side of a flattering likeness. I hope Vader doesn’t notice that I sneaked in a little Rebel Alliance orange at the top of the picture, to contrast with all those cool, dark Imperial colors. Also, he seems to be staring at my signature. A bit worrisome. “Apology accepted, Mr. Watson.”

(Disclaimer: Star Wars and Darth Vader are the intellectual property of Disney, and I do not intend to sell this painting.)

Anyway, happy Star Wars Day!