just checking

I am working on another book about rabbits in a lazy sort of way. Whenever I get an idea -- usually because of something my rabbits did -- I made a few notes and throw it into a drawer. Hopefully that will sort of write itself.

Yesterday working on a large landscape painting. It's a sister to the painting 'Jeanne's Trees' that is bare winter branches in Connecticut. This one is a summer version. I took some pix this summer of a close but unfortunately not exactly the same angle. I am trying to copy it as close as possible but of course when working with photography it is so flat and ... if I copy it exactly it won't look like what I saw this summer.
So I am trying to sort of feel my way there. It's like working in a dream of some kind. Using photo for reference but almost just closing my eyes and trying to feel it out. Occasionally I stand back or sit down and look. "Does this resemble my memory?"
If not, go back and work some more. It's sort of abdicating responsibility. Sort of like Dada. I have a big faith in letting accident or a higher power take charge.
For years I've done this in design work. My life in design involves moving things around on screen. Sometimes I have no idea so I just grab the object with the mouse and move it with my eyes closed. it often ends up in exactly the right place.
Twice while painting I had the uncanny experience of not having control of my hand. Or rather I didn't even need to look...I just kept painting and it felt like it was done for me. This was very strange. It sounds ridiculous I know. It will sound even sillier when I tell you that one of these times I was working on my 'Missing' which features a large madonna and child [very post-modern] among other elements. I was working on the child when it happened, on his foot. You must realize that at that time I didn't even think I believed in God let alone Jesus buut it gave me pause. The first time it happened, I was working on my copy of the Velasquez painting of the little infanta and her maid. My version is on my sister Jeanne and myself.
Well I don't try to explain it, just know what I felt.
Like one time I saw a UFO but that doesn't make any sense either....