Moving Along to Ugly Adolescence

Block-in completed.  This is an enjoyable process even if some things are dead wrong, because nothing is permanent and all feels possible.  Still dealing with chunkier shapes of flat color and exaggerated value.  It's the next stage where things start to get.... well, like an ugly adolescent.

Because you start paying attention to how you think it ought to be, you start pulling punches, fearful of making mistakes and wasting time and paint and canvas.  Bits and pieces move along at varying rates and out of synch, and you despair of ever getting through this stage and having things turn out.  You avoid some areas altogether (shadows) and completely overwork others (skin).  You have no clue what to do about the pavement. But, you are committed to finishing this weekend (and getting past using 2nd person narrative; first person feels like too much ownership at this stage).

"Waiting for the Parade" -- and hoping to make art again.

 I see that it s been just about a year since I last posted here.  So much for accountability.  Truth is that I have painted very, very little; maybe lost my mojo, and giving serious thought to giving up my studio.  The day job takes 3 days of the week, leaving the other 4 available for chores, errands, R & R, family stuff -- and then maybe time for art. My son and I have talked at length about how frustrating and demoralizing it is to try to do something you love, but do it poorly.  Here's to hoping the slump has schlepped.

Happy to have a project on the easel again and a deadline to meet, and while engaged with this new ideas and plans beginning to bubble up again.

 Received an RFP (request for proposal) for artwork for a new hospital being built in SD, asking for americana/nostalgia themes for a "Main Street" commons area.  I submitted photos of existing work, samples and  proposed commission ideas.  The committee  commissioned two paintings, a 24 x 36 oil and a 30 x 22 watercolor.  The oil will have to dry a spell before it can be shipped in the beginning of March, so that one has to be tackled first. It will be based on the little painting above (9 x 13 oil of the kids at the 4th of July parade). 

Here's the underpainting (24 x 36)...

And here's the initial block in, trying out some colors and values, changing a few things around.  What works in a small painting doesn't always fly when you blow it up three times bigger. 

Blocked-in Bride

   30" x 40" Oil

     Still in the mood to paint in oil; maybe it's the fall weather.  This is a first stage monochromatic block in, done right on the toned canvas. One of the benefits of oil is that I can make as many rub-outs and alterations as I want.  Do-over heaven, which is good because the head is too big, and there's some odd stuff happening at her back.  I can continue to refine shapes and sizes of things all through the next stage, the local color block-in, which will happen after this has had a chance to dry a bit.  Might be a demo for the Studio Crawl.  

      Couple of content issues:  what's outside the window, and what's that stuff in the lower left corner?  A car stuck in snow and a bouquet of calla lilies, but I really don't want to be messing with this kind of stuff, so I think all that may disappear in favor of vague and indistinct shapes.  I have to keep reminding myself that this is NOT a portrait, and I need to let go of my photo references.

     I am having fun thinking up titles, though:  Waiting, Stood Up and Sitting Down, All About the Dress, Second Thoughts.  Taking suggestions.....