I'm focused on only one painting right now, 120 cm x 100 cm, which is a little larger than I've worked over the past couple years, although I wish I were working much larger. It's been a struggle so far, more of a series of experiments than a picture with a clear vision. I don't know what I'm doing and change my mind about the piece daily. I want it dark. No, I want it bright. Shiny. No, dull. Straight lines... no, erratic. It's a learning piece and I feel like I'm turning a corner. And then another and another.
Paint isn't that expensive here, but in the quantities that I'm buying it the price quickly skyrockets. A couple weeks ago I spent over €300 at Bosener (that's about $450).
Last Friday was the big gallery weekend here in Berlin, and I went over to check out the Albert Oehlen show at Galerie Max Hetzler. It was a bunch of paintings he'd done back in 2004, as well as some recent collage work he'd collaborated on with a musician. I loved the paintings, but didn't care much for the collages. They looked so small and ordinary when paired with the enourmous paintings.
I saw some large sheets of glass in a pile of trash on my walk home last night, and it occured to me that they would be great to work paint on - better than the plastic tarp that I've been using (the Xacto blades slice through it too easily), so I picked them up and carried them home with me. They're propped against the wall in my studio now, in need of a good wash.
I don't have any plans for the weekend other than to paint, study German and clean. I'll probably go for some long walks if the weather is nice.