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Sunday, May 29, 2016

I Spy A Finish Line

Morris is a tweak or two away from signing.
Morris is a tweak or two away from finished; I can see the finish line. In spite of a second bout this month with a bad back, I have been able to hobble down to the studio and zero in on this or that adjustment that make the maestro that maestro. The last three partially visible guitar strings, some indications of frets and the indication of a jowl on the far side of his face and that will be that.

Work on Morris has been off and on since January due to one ailment or another. Work on the next painting will be erratic as well. The surgery on my right knee in July may make standing at the easel a bit uncomfortable at first, but less and less till there's none.  It's time to find a subject as absorbing as Morris to take his place on the easel.  I have two subjects in mind.


Piggy Back is a possibility.

Waiting At The Gate is another.


The Venetian method demands total belief in the subject. The process is incredibly slow. The painting is on the easel for weeks to months. Everyday you go to the studio and it greets you with demands.  You comply. Little by little, the scaled cartoon becomes a painting. With the transformation, the urge to hurry and finish disappears. You relax and just go about the job of reading values, mixing matches and correcting flaws.  You are content in the doing.  It's really quite a lovely feeling. I am enjoying it--enough to want to do another. 

Piggyback would be a sweet painting, but Waiting At The Gate arouses my curiosity and offers painting challenges.  I will be wondering the whole time I'm painting what these women were talking about--and if I wonder, so will viewers. While the painting would be a portrait, it would also tell a story. I also see this subject in color--the final layer of the Venetian method, in which color glazes are laid over the completed monochrome. This is the challenge; I've never worked with color glazes before. I think I've made a decision?



6 comments:

  1. Morris is really fantastic! I can't wait to see how you go about painting Waiting at the Gate. Good luck with the knee!

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    1. Thanks Judy! Morris is a hard lesson on handling paint and building up patience. This style of paint is indeed old fashioned. It comes from a place in time when the pace of life was much slower. The method is very difficult to adjust to, but when you do, the results are unbelievable. You can't believe you did what you did. Very satisfying. Not great to show though. In this fast paced culture, we get bored quickly.

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  2. Beautifully done, Linda - and I do applaud your patience. I hope all goes well with the knee surgery and look forward to Waiting at the Gate - with color!

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    1. Thanks Susan, I am thrilled to see an ending in sight. I imagine anyone following my snail-like progress on this painting is too. I never realized how complex this painting would be until I was up to my eyeballs in it. But I love what I have learned from this piece--from the palette life of oils to the Importance of frequently cleaning brushes and taking breaks. Morris was an eye opening experience on working with oils. Priceless.

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  3. I love as Morris comes out,day after day following your wonderful painting adventure on facebook.
    Nice to meet you and your art in both world we have to meet, Blogland and Facebook,we are lucky to stay so in touch.I am agree with Susan,all is dso beautifully done!!!

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  4. Morris is magic, patience certainly pays dividends. But you have painted such an intriguing picture in words, of 'Waiting at the Gate' that I am excited for you and impatient to see it come into being! You go, girl!

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