Crazy Head

14 x 10 WC

Another magazine-head-warmup-painting. Still knocking around, looking for a "look" I can call my own. Or, a/k/a work-avoidance. Still haven't moved forward on any of the other paintings posted recently. Maybe I should rename this blog "Sometimes Janart."

Today oldest son finally threw up an image on the website I've held for 7 years that has been "under construction" all that time. Next week: a home page with actual buttons/links? A contact page? Woo hoo!

Note to those of you getting these in your mailbox; please let me know if you want to take a break and let somebody else delete all the fun!

Progressions -- still in progress, but further along..

22 x 30 Watercolor

Wondering if I'm ADD? I believe I am, which is plenty rationalization for working on 4 paintings at once. Back to Peter again, not far from done. I was thinking of entering this in a show, but I became frustrated with so many little pickyune things that I had to set it aside for a while. I need to tighten up a few areas, and loosen up a few others, make some value and edge adjustments. As stated previously (January?) I have worked with this image off and on in several paintings, and I want to do it justice. So no half-baked rushing to the finish line. I think this is a function of working larger than the usual 14 x 11 size I prefer; with those, I can work start to finish all in one go, in one state of mind, with one impetus. These larger pieces (the last two posts and the one to come) cannot be slogged through, at least not effectively. I run out of steam and have finally learned to put the brush down, let things sit, but it means having to gather up "the force" for each session. Contrary to my scattershot nature, and that's why it helps to have several going at once. Also why watercolor is working better than oil these days.

That Restaurant Near Peggy's Place (Venice)

30 x 15 Watercolor

I stumbled across somebody else's paintings of Venice in which they had used this long tall format, which I thought so beautifully suited the narrow canals of Venice; hence this and the previously posted painting. First and second wash represented here. Really avoiding the water for now, I want it to be one simple mass eventually. It's decision time on the rest of it, whether to push the mid-values and how (dis)connected will the darks be? Guess I'll figure it out when I get there.

Bellagio Cafe 2

5 x 30 watercolor

Here's the first application of color, kind of spotty but I'm trying not to overthink this and just use it as a warm up for the day. I have no plans for it, so no pressure and I can just wander through. So far it looks like I am setting up color triads.