Watched Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart last night and recalled I had downloaded that album. I was glad. I liked his voice. I liked the actor. I liked the movie.
It was on my mind this morning when I went down to get some tuna out of the freezer located in the passage to my studio. From the doorway I could see Fall woods sitting just where I'd left it several weeks ago and on the counter was my Ipod deck. I forgot about the tuna. I put on the album, took the lid off my palette and Fall Woods got a lot looser as I danced, mixed colors, reached for the spray bottle, threw the painting on the floor and did as I used to do years ago--painted from a bird's eye view while circling the canvas.
I have no idea whether I messed it up. I don't particularly care. I don't believe you can mess up a painting. I do think that every stage a painting goes through adds to the final piece. I do think that at a certain point during the process the painting takes on a life of it's own and dictates what must be done. I don't like being dictated to. I abandoned the painting weeks ago because painting it had gotten tedious. Painting wasn't tedious today. A little bit of Country and together the canvas and I rocked.
Oh my! That's a good one. The painting, and the hovering over the painting. Like a hawk. And swooping down into it when something jiggles. I must try that. I also like the idea of the painting as dictator. But then that would make us God. One of my eyebrows just went up like Spock's.
ReplyDeleteFascinating.
Would u believe I have photos of Jeff and his brother Beau? They were doing skits at our shopping center when I lived in L.A. My mother had such a crush on those two! omg. Yes, I was embarassed... I remember reading an interview done on Jeff and he had mentioned how his parents encouraged he and his brother to do any sort of acting and he had mentioned doing skits...at the time I was pretty young and did not appreciate what they were doing on their mock stage.. I am sure they thought my mother was some sort of stalker since she hung around the stage forever. BTW those photos were taken w/ a brownie camera... I think w/paintings, its all how the viewer interprets it.. I do know u can go back many times and change things up.. My mom tried oils once and gave up since it took forever for them to dry...
ReplyDeletePainting was always an active sport for me Bill. The last year I explored other more thoughtful approaches (watercolor, pencil) and they are just not what I want to do. Walking around the canvas I'm constantly changing my viewpoint. Eventually an orientation presents itself and I finish from there. It's an excellent way to balance compositions. It's an excellent way to communicate with the canvas. Always on the move, it's an excellent way to exercise.
ReplyDeleteIt's true. At a certain point in the process a painting becomes dictatorial. I start however I start. The more I add to the painting, the more it becomes in charge demanding I do this, demanding I do that. This one got too demanding. So I pulled back. Stopped cold. Today, I took charge again. But only briefly. Tomorrow the painting will say what's what. Who is this weird chick?
Isn't it amazing how the addition of music to the creative ambiance can evoke such a different perspective, and ultimately such a different piece?
ReplyDeleteLove your description of your process, and I HAVE to see that movie ... been saying I would for months now!
If I ran into Jeff Bridges in the shopping center I wouldn't have left either. Great looking guy. Sexy. Your mom had taste. And both he and his brother are terrific actors. We also just watched The Baker Boys and enjoyed that movie again too.
ReplyDeleteAs for the painting, it'll be whatever it turns out to be whenever. But it was too tight and needed a thrashing.
Bonnie I don't know why I stopped listening to my music the last few months while I was fooling around with watercolors. I think it makes all the difference in the world.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love painting on the floor looking down at the canvas and walking around it. The action is exhilarating. It's exhilarating too in my roll around secretarial chair. When I get tired of standing and stooping, I put the painting back up on the easel and sit in my roll around chair rolling this way and that getting things done. When I paint I need to keep moving. No stool. No sitting quietly. I'm an expressionistic action painter always have been.
Tuna doesn't come in a can? Just kidding.
ReplyDeleteThis is an exciting painting. You may need one of those "windmill" easels.
Tuna comes in a can I hear Hallie--and also the freezer--at least whenever I make it past the studio to take a look, there it is just where Honey put it. I did manage to remember to bring a package up in time for it to defrost for dinner. Maybe I should have remembered sooner. Then I wouldn't have to go back into this painting to tighten and lighten it up.
ReplyDelete:) Nice to be distracted when you get to have fun.
ReplyDeletebeautiful painting....it looks like dancing
ReplyDelete