Carmen Trio I don't even remember how or why the idea came into my head, but some time at the end of January or early February I got the notion to do some drawings in graphite and record the sound of pencil on paper so that I could make ASMR videos. Here is the Wikipedia entry on ASMR (take it with however many grains of salt you usually require for that source): Autonomous sensory meridian response ( ASMR ), sometimes auto sensory meridian response , is a tingling sensation that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine. A pleasant form of paresthesia , it has been compared with auditory-tactile synesthesia and may overlap with frisson . ASMR signifies the subjective experience of "low-grade euphoria" characterized by "a combination of positive feelings and a distinct static-like tingling sensation on the skin". It is most commonly triggered by specific auditory or visual stimuli, and less commonly by intentional
The Windless Kite 30" x 30", oil on wood panel, 2020 After completing our complete bathroom renovation last spring I knew I wanted to create a custom painting for the wall above my towel bar and 30" x 30" was the ideal size for that space. I wanted to compose something warm and colourful and, while I was still deciding what the subject would be I hung Toro over the toilet, sort of establishing a colour palette for the room. Abandoned state. I started this painting soon after completing The Red Balloon but it stayed in this frozen state (turtle and kite largely finished) for months. After I finished The Seed Gatherers , I took advantage of that solid momentum to resume work on this and finished about 95% in the remaining days of 2020, so I'm counting it as belonging to that year. Turtle detail. Flowers detail. In situ. This is how it looks in it's intended place in our bathroom, directly across from Toro , together combining to give the room some needed