Most of my paintings are completed within a few weeks time, but not always. This most recent painting is one of those exceptions. Sometimes when you let a painting ‘rest’ for a while, the problem and solution become more apparent.
The Speed of Painting
March 30th, 2010What is an Underpainting?
March 26th, 2010I took these photos yesterday of a commissioned painting in progress to be forwarded to the client for review. This allows us (myself, the client, and the designer) to work together in bringing together multiple design elements.
I had visited the house previously and taken several existing works to view in the space. None were quite large enough for the intended space, but the existing works allowed us to establish a baseline for what mood the client enjoyed most, and which colors worked best in the room.
The stage of the art right now is what I would consider to be the ‘underpainting’. This is a loose interpretation of color and composition. It allows an artist to establish overall relationships first, rather than attempting to finalize limited areas at a time.
This work is slightly larger than average (36″ x 36″) so creating an underpainting is especially useful.
Fallen Sky…
March 25th, 2010This painting is almost finished…
At the Studio
March 24th, 2010Lots going on in the studio right now! One of the biggest challenges I am facing is documentation. For each work I create, a certain amount of paperwork needs to be established for each work, before I make it available for sale. As I had promised to several collectors, I am trying to offer ‘previews’ of artwork here on the blog, before the items are listed in my shop.
Here’s another piece that I hope to list later today or tomorrow:
This is a 24″ x 18″ and I’ve been having a difficult time getting a decent photo of it. Though digital photography has made almost instantaneous visual communication more feasible, it’s still a challenge for many artists to get ‘decent’ photos of their work. Here’s a good article I read recently on the subject called Digital Image Troubleshooting.
Also I have other projects in mind other than paintings that need attention. As an artist, the finished work is certainly the most important in developing my reputation, however the process of creation does not function well for me in a vacuum. Each painting is a visual record, that reflects what I am reading, thinking and investigating. If I were a better writer, I believe I would have enjoyed journalism because writings that take human endeavors under the lens of study in an objective way fascinate me.
One such book that I’d recommend to any artist is Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton. Again, here’s why I’m NOT primarily a writer; I’m pretty sure I should have listed that first linked article in quotes, rather than as an underlined entry, but my computer doesn’t seem to want to let me go back and change it…
New
March 22nd, 2010Here are some of the finished items I hope to make available for sale later today, or tomorrow.
Commission in Progress
March 20th, 2010Just wanted to post this image to show a bit about how I work. With living creatures like birds (specifically here, the Great Egret) I believe it important to study many sources to gain an understanding of the animal and how it moves. Also I documented the birds myself and am using those photos to create this commissioned work.
Often while working as an instructor, I would see students create art from newspaper or magazine photos… this is not an issue if done only for the purpose of study, but unethical if done for profit.
More New Work
March 19th, 2010These are some small paintings (maybe 6″x6″) I just finished… waiting on them to dry before I post them to the shop.
Soon to be Available
March 19th, 2010Just wanted to give a preview of the works I will be posting soon in my store. This first one is a large oil on canvas, 24″ x 24″
Artistic Expression in Everyday Life
March 8th, 2010Beauty and creativity can be expressed in many forms… here’s a photo of the table setting we used for dinner last night. The camellias here are in bloom..
The Importance of a Title
March 7th, 2010Titling a painting or other work of art may seem like a minor concern since the primary mode of communication with visual art is, as the name states, visual. However, the title of a work can provide valuable insight into meaning and intent. This latest work that I will soon be listing for sale, is titled “Mystery”. Below is a description of how and why I arrived at the title.
At first glance there are elements of the work that contradict the name. The scene is bright and open with vibrant colors. Further exploration draws us down to the foreground area where the shadows deepen to the point of illegibility and the brush marks are more active. The order of the upper scene almost seems to drain out into chaos. Mystery is in the chaos, but also in the exploration and contemplation of visual meaning.