Wednesday, August 25, 2010

tcb


With school starting in exactly one week, I am trying to keep everything together! This means integrating painting into a life of planning and paper work. With that said I made a some changes to two paintings yesterday. I have made small changes to both of the above and painted a tiny 5"x7" self-portrait.  I promised myself I would post tonight so those shifts will have to wait for another day.


Sometimes I feel like I am going in circles, or more accurately painting the same painting to repaint it again...and with that, this image is the latest in the ole' backyard drama.


for those of you who don't remember, this a brief history of this crazy painting

  

  


In other news the big painting is still moving along. At this point it's just about small steps to make everything feel right. I say that in the hopes that moving my mother's arm will be the last major shift to take place.



Monday, August 16, 2010

modifications

it's funny how a small statement can have such a large impact....


Yesterday my friend and colleague Leslie Robison (check out her work here) was over at my house for a dog romp and boy video game session (my husband and her two kids).


On her way out, we stepped into my studio. We both agreed that the picnic table was the best part of the painting, and she made a comment about it looking wet. That statement, plus a crazy 3am realization that I needed to make bolder choices in terms of color, account for some of the changes that I made today. The figures still need some work, but I am much more excited about the reflective nature of the light at this point. Thank you Leslie!

On a side note (or on the side of an envelope), here is a little sketch of Marc sleeping after dinner the other night.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

working to avoid working

With school fast approaching, I am squeezing in as much studio time as possible.
Here is a quick update:












I feel good about the preparatory drawing at this point, the entire process of working larger is really exciting. I owe Marcie Paper a thank you for reminding me that I can paint large, if I decide to, THANK YOU MARCIE! If you don't know her work please check out Marcie's beautiful paintings and animations here. I also wanted to post an image of Euan Uglow's work, a book of his paintings is currently open in my studio.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Prep Work


After completing my most recent painting, the ever changing backyard, I came to several conclusions. In efforts to work larger, the backyard piece is 30" x 24" (and I want to make another 4'x3' painting), I realized the need for more preparation. Working out the composition and lighting becomes much more problematic when the paintings grow in scale. This conclusion, is due in part to an effort not to waste the entire $30 37ml tube of Cadmium Yellow in a green that will get covered up the next day! However, it also comes from always wanting to get to the fun part by habitually skipping the necessary preliminary steps to painting (cleaning brushes, cleaning the palette, etc). With all of this said, I am stepping back in order to step forward. Yesterday I spent several hours working on a small sketch for a future painting (hopefully it will come to life on the 4' x3' canvas sitting in my living room). I am trying to work out the big picture prior to applying the paint, and I will let you know if this is actually helpful. I know that at times lots of planning in art-making gets thrown out the window once the process starts.

Monday, August 2, 2010

model paintings

So after taking the weekend off, I am back in the studio. Marc and I are dog sitting for a week so I had a little extra canine company in the studio today.



In painting news, I may have finished the backyard painting once and for all (although the white dress in the shadow may need to be taken down a notch). In between now and the last post I totally destroyed the figure on the far left and enlarged the girl whose dress may be too white. 



Then on a whim I made a couple of changes to darken and solidify some areas on a painting that was, and is again, sitting on the finished wall. 


With these paintings in mind, I would like to address the elongated figures that seem to occupy my fictional/altered worlds. I typically free-hand draw when painting, incorporating several photographs together, and because of certain tendencies my figures always become stretched. This occurrence does not bother me on a regular basis, but I have been thinking about influences. My first thoughts went to artists who have the same tendency.... El Greco and Velazquez....


but then it occurred to me that this tendency is most likely due to looking at fashion images everyday.


So....models of the fashion industry, my elongated figures salute you tonight, thanks for your influence... or on the other hand maybe they should just thank the old world painters.