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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Out on A Limb And It's Quivering Under My Weight


I've stepped way out on a limb and it's making me a bit nervous--but not so nervous as not to do it. I had to take artistic license. The baby's hands pushed me into a redraw. Redrawing demanded reviewing and then reestablishing proportions. Reestablishing proportions made me reach for darker colors to correct point and plane relationships. The more I redrew, the more I loosened up with the colors and my brushstrokes. I streaked the hair with burgundy, violet and blackened blue. Reeve's store-bought Flesh will be the highlights; it's a good color unless you use it alone for flesh. I threw the hair colors into the bedding as well to give the impression of body weight. As for the little fingers that got me started, they should end up being suggestive smears.

The more marks I made, the more the painting came to life and so did I. I realized I was finally in the land of Paintfreely. I thought I'd never get there. While I hope the patron likes whatever is going on, I have to like it more. The tightness of the piece was making me uncomfortable. The reference photo, not being mine, was stiffling. Stress is as unacceptable in life as it is in painting. I wasn't reviewing Hals and Lautrec's delightful figures for nothing; I needed a push to declare my territory, my artistic license to paint what I see, what I feel from what I see.

I also had to get rid of that winter header. It, too, was weighing me down. It's sixty outside and sunny. Out my studio window, the Mourning Doves are building their nest in the Blue Spruce. The glorious seasons in front of us, brought flowers to mind, what else? I contemplated pansies,but opted instead to push ahead. While sixty degrees is enjoyable, I really love summer's heat, ever-blooming coneflower time. Note that I cropped the header size down considerably. The size of Winter 2012 was opressive, like the season itself. Note that I referred to my water soluble markers as watercolor pencils. I picked that up from one of you. I thought it was an excellent description of a medium non-painting, non-artistic people regard as child's play.

6 comments:

  1. Linda, I must say I DO love your new header.

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  2. Thanks Kathryn. It was good to get rid of winter. Michigan is looking forward to 70 today. Winter, the painting, hangs on a wall opposite my computer desk along side Fall and Summer. It's the best of the three in spite of it being the worst season of the three.

    The coneflowers are showing tips of green in the garden, as are the mums. In the woods, the wild daffodils have sent up their leaves; it's the only green to be seen as yet. But color is making a come back. The buds on the trees are burgundy and the branches of the weeping willow are a brighter yellow. Promise is all around.

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  3. Hi linda.
    Wonderful portrait of these two youngsters. Especially the older boy. He is brilliant. Is that a painting of what looks to me like furs? If so, it`s brilliant. All the best Linda.

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  4. There's a bird in flight in those blurry blue spruce branches--same bird that comes every Spring to build a nest. It's a He Mourning Dove. He's got beautiful blue under-wings. His mate is a bit dull, but I'm thrilled to see her--so thrilled my hand shook taking the picture--thus the blurriness.

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  5. Woohoo! It's excellent and definitely two boys! It's clear that you were in the zone! Love the way it's looking.

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  6. Thanks Dan. The client liked it more painterly too. Whew!

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