Kind Of Blue Without You

Here is another kissing painting which are easy to do (reflected in the poor quality.) I painted the couple to the left so there was enough space on the wall for Mark Rothkos abstract painting “untitled yellow and blue” which sold at auction in 2015 for $46.5 million. The real one is 8-foot-tall and was painted in 1954. Some rich people have owned it then sold it making them richer: U.S. banker Paul Mellon, Christie’s billionaire owner Francois Pinault. The current owner is an unknown Asian private collector.

In 1968 the painter Mark Rothko was diagnosed with a mild aortic aneurysm. Doctor advised him to stop drinking and smoking and take up exercise and eating well. He did none of these. On 25^th February 1970 he was found dead on the kitchen floor by his studio assistant. He had overdosed on anti-depressants then sliced his arms with a razor.

The blue in the painting spurred the name of this painting, “Kind Of Blue Without You.” Miles Davies released an album “Kind Of Blue” in 1959, the best-selling jazz record of all time. I’ve got a Radio 4 documentary about this album and some people say they listen to it every day of their lives (haven’t they heard the timeless songs Teletubbies Say ‘Eh-Oh or Timmy Mallett’s Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini?)

As with some paintings this took about a year. The photograph of me painting it while watching a black and white film was taken when I’d just about cleared the house in Todmorden in October 2015. Though another eight months passed before I finished it the painting time was about two and a half hours.

Not sure what’s happening here….probably sobbing as it’s not working out as planned…

Sam (on the right) doesn’t seem impressed…

Time to add untitled yellow and blue which is 8 feet tall...

Painting in the painting shown on screen….