Stayin' Cool in the Studio

Summertime and the Livin' is Sticky

Each summer here on the island, we usually have one week of crazy hot weather. We are often very content with our standard Mediterranean climate but it can go horribly wrong and get very hot and very uncomfortable.
I am a very big fan of 19 Celsius and when the temperature hits 29 blast furnace degrees C. it is just something I must write about. On these extreme days, we wish desperately for a swimming pool and the closest thing to a swimming pool is our beautiful backyard pond. Daily, in the hot weather, we are secretly tempted to take a dip in our pond but wisely refrain, knowing the neighbours are dying to share on the Internet, candid photos of the unusual artist neighbours splashing about in the pond.

Stayin' Cool in the Studio

To combat the 29 degree heat, I fling open my one north facing window which brings in a overwhelming cacophony from wood chippers, chain saws and deafening leaf blowers. Our open window is also an invitation for a migration of over sized spiders who seek shade and refuge from our frenzied neighbour's many electrical garden type power tools.
Yes, we have been meaning to upgrade to a more appropriate cooling system and it would be smart to have a proper air conditioner in the studios. Our two cooling fans are not EnergyStar rated and were purchased during the heat wave of '76. Every summer as we try to stay cool, our Hydro bill skyrockets as we dial our fans up to 11 and hope for a comfort level that will allow us several productive hours of painting.
 

I have not yet grown accustomed to the forced air flow of the fans and the fluttering of assorted sketches and small paintings whirling past my head and shoulders. Even with the distraction of blowing air, I am always optimistic that I am going to get a tremendous amount  of painting done if I am not accidentally knocked out by a flying art object. As the day slowly ticks by, the room gets hotter and hotter.
 

Melt Down

 By 2 pm everything in the room feels tacky and it is all suddenly sticking to me. Sipping my ice tea and trying my best to paint and stay focused, my room feels like a desert with super heated gale force Santa Ana winds. Not surprisingly, tumble weeds roll past my ankles, heat waves appear on the roadways of my painted cityscapes, all the lawns in my paintings are turning yellow and a prickly cactus has started growing in the corner of my dusty window sill.

As the relentless heat plays with my mind, things start to get really weird. In the corner where my monitor usually sits, I notice a large jug of icy cold Kool-Aid with a big smile on its face. He winks at me seductively. Having kicked the Kool-Aid habit years ago, I resist.
Knowing it won't go away easily, I thwart this powerful nostalgic mirage by bravely cranking up my fan to 13! Dealing with the vibrating and moving furniture, I successfully anchor my painting to my table and try to ignore the big spider who is happily cooling off in my ice tea.

                                                                       A spider finds a spot to cool down

                                        

                                       

By 4 pm, I hear Vic's panicky voice from his studio, "Barb, the dishes, cutlery and rugs have started to melt ! "....

 That's it, my survival instincts kick in and we pile into our Volvo and race off to the air conditioned wine store. As the wine store merchant welcomes us, we leisurely browse the cool oasis and isle upon isle of wine and 92 point selections.
 I ask Vic, "why didn't we come here earlier ?" Our over heated minds finally cooled down and hundreds of ideas for sublime wine and food pairings become abundant. After taking a few hours to decide which wine would be perfect for our dinner, the wine store staff politely ask us to make our selection and leave.

By 7 pm we are refreshed and renewed. We head back home where we open our bottle of 2009 Beso de Vino and serve it with a selection of our summer fare. Nestled in the comfort of the cooling basement atmosphere, we find just enough room for a spontaneous romantic dinner of "take out" beside the washer and dryer.



 

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Victor Bosson's Link to the Outside World

Visit Vic's new on line art print store and see his new digital montage art prints.

Click here    www.galleryartlife.etsy.com

                                      

                              

                                               In My Dream, I saw The Queen"
                                                        Digital montage Art Print 
                                                               By Victor Bosson

Cheerful, whimsical, affordable and often thought provoking, Victor Bosson's art prints make perfect gifts for the home and office.

Receive a free gift with your purchase, offer expires soon. Vic will not try to sell you a vacumn cleaner.


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OLD NEWS is Good News
My Blue Bridge painting is developing nicely and I am adding lots of details to the view of the working harbour and old town area. Prints of my finished painting will be available in November 2012 and I will keep you posted as to which galleries will be carrying my new prints of my new Blue Bridge painting.

  Here is an small detail of my Blue Bridge painting in progress. This detail is a small portion of the painting only and does not show the whole view of the composition. 

The painting measures 16 x 26 inches and is an expansive view of the working harbour and the view looking south to the Legislature. I am looking forward to showing off the completed painting.




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