The Last Big Painting

phase one

I’m about to begin what will probably be my last large painting (75.5” x 98.5”). The working title is Golden Rectangles in Space. But don’t wait up for me, it might take years. That’s what happens when you work on a lot of things at once.

The image above is my garage-studio for large and heavy work. The painting I'm discussing is on the left side, and this is the only photo I've ever taken of it because I've never considered it successful. But I will admit that in this photo it's the best it's ever looked, but it’s still not good enough.

The stretcher was made decades ago with the help of my brother, who was a highly skilled woodworker with a well-equipped shop. I took the finished lumber back to my studio, assembled it, and stretched the fabric. When I bought the material I was told it was linen, but I'm really not too sure what it is. It certainly doesn’t look like cotton canvas. The price was right though, and it seems to be holding up just fine.

I then made a large, but not well-conceived painting that disappointed me. After many years in storage, I'm now going to fix it. One might say I'm going to paint over it but I prefer to think of it as major repairs because the new painting is going to be about the same thing I always seem to paint, the same thing I've been working on all my life.

I am unable to clearly state what that same thing is: It's a painting, it’s not words, and it will have to speak for itself. So I’m just adding to it, enhancing it, layering it, even though the top layers will be opaque.

And don't forget about my book. If only you knew about it, you'd probably want it.

An imaginary author named André Questcequecest has made his writing career by almost exclusively quoting other writers. This fair-use collage of ideas produces an expanded understanding of Western cultural history and an individual's immersion in that context. The quotes range from the Pre-Socratics to contemporary art theory, along with numerous artists, poets, composers, philosophers, theorists, mystics, and an assortment of unexpected eccentrics.

S. E. Armstrong is a visual artist, writer, and former Editor/Publisher of the art magazine Wegway Primary Culture. André Questcequecest was the magazine's Quotes Editor, and Wm. F. Krendall (also imaginary) was Wegway's Mysterious Advisor. Krendall contributed a preamble and introduction to this volume. [“Questcequecest” is French for “What's that?” with all the apostrophes and hyphens removed].

This is a collection of four works collected in one 229 page book: Gathering Thoughts 2021 , The Pomposius 1995, The Science Wars 2004, and The Communist Manifesto with all Words Functioning as Nouns Removed 2001 to 2010.

Spoiler: The final words in the book are, “And so ends the old world. Peace be with you.”

It’s now available for sale for $20 USD, $24CAD, 14.50 EUR, 12 GBP, $23 AUD.

If you buy it through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Ingram they will take approximately 90% or more of the cover price, but if you buy it at lulu.com the split is closer to 50-50.