Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Painting a Series

I have a thing for series.  I love to read books in a series and I love to paint in a series. There is a deeper connection to the subject matter than there is when you just take one swipe at it...
The first painting in a series is generally the most  labored and careful.  The second painting I've loosened up and explored some creative deviations from what I originally intended.  The third painting is usually the best- it's free of thought process constraints.  Why can't I just start out with painting #3?  Like my paintings, I am a work in progress.  Oh, and by the way, I very rarely paint #4.  I also have a short attention span- by the time I've reached #4 I'm bored!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Starting from the Beginning

I believe it is very true that the best way to master something is to try to teach someone  the steps involved in the process.  For those, like me, who may tend to get a little out of focus at times, describing or teaching a task will crystallize the thought process like nothing else.  When I paint, I always imagine my mother standing over my shoulder.  She has historically always asked me to explain the unexplainable in my life.  As I begin a painting, I ponder the decision of the underpainting color I have chosen.  I use masonite boards about 3/8” thick cut into various sizes depending on the subject matter.  First I prime the boards with a water-base primer, and then, depending on what I choose to paint, I pick an all-over color to use as a base color for the painting.  This will give depth, luminosity, and mood to a painting.  How do I choose?  I haven’t got a clue, Mom.  It’s probably tied to color composition or my particular mood at the time.  All I know is it works.  I wish I had some paintings from a time before I underpainted to illustrate the difference.  “Mom, do you know where any of those might be?” Of course she does.
Anyway, as in life, leave something peaking out, not quite visible…but something that hints at the emotion under the surface.