[Rick Mullin]

Hi Susan,


I considered "frame". As I explained to Alex, I don't think I can top the use of "domain", or the idea in that sentence. Alex alerted me to my stumble--I, of course, had read the poem, many times aloud, without noticing it.

Keep in mind that in ancient Persia, if you wove a carpet without one mistake it was considered an insult to the Creator and you were headed straight to Hell!!!!! Also, when painting, I find that nothing ruins a picture more than corner-to-corner regard for the physics of perspective.

Of course, I'm slightly embarrassed by the off rhyme and will likely give alternatives more thought. I don't know what could be better than "frame". But frame is not really very good. Although it defines the great paradoxical constraint, it's also the first thing outside of the picture.

Yes, that is glitched punctuation in S5L1. Fixed. That landscape line comes up for me as an abstract image, which I think is in keeping with the large area of sky, land, and atmosphere in the painting. That "abstract" space is essential to the picture. It supports the representational (The sky, by the way, is much more difficult to paint than a human figure with period clothing and detailed facial features. And it's usually more interesting.) Note I've added a comma that might make the line work better as an adjunct to, "The odds are in your favor,..."

Thanks,
RM


I mentioned initially that Nick and Julie let me slide on same/domain. I see that Julie did not! ~,:^)