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| Kelly in Black and White, detail, oil & charcoal sketch, 12 x 16 |
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| Oblivion, iPad Photograph |
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Top book is a biography; bottom, a
collection of his paintings. |
Diagnostic test in a little room off a cheerless corridor, short studio sessions tweaking this, signing off on that, reading Auerbach, Genghis Kahn, cycling the lush green hills inbetween scattered showers and sunbeams, a mixed bag of apprehensions lightened with my fascination with art, history--what's new in the neighbors' gardens. Suddenly free on, suddenly doubtful where to begin? Moe Q. McGlutch you think too much! If Kelly lived here, she'd be my full time model.
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| What's The Point? Oil, 9" x 12" |
Defined his hands just enough and signed off, (as I said I would Rita).
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| Hot Flash, Oil, 36" x 18" |
Maybe too colorful? Maybe too carried away? But flash references will distort color and form-- maybe that's what appealed? There was something spooky about the sick greens and obnoxious yellows. Ellis hates it. Asked me not to hang it. But I sort of like primitive gaudiness. It's where I was in 2011. Turned out, it's what I wanted in the end . I signed it. It will hang in my office an ongoing wonder what I wanted from this.
So beyond the real, in the psychological and physical presence, portrait of your boys is one of my favorites!
ReplyDeleteI saw them born, post after post ... following your passionate search and your tenacious work and now they are ALIVE !!! Pride of mother and pride as an artist and
painter ... they deserve to be shown here and on the wall!Hands of Ellis completed his portrait, leaving dominated his expression of eyes, with perfect balance.
B/W study of Kelly very brilliant , promise of future color portrait,maybe.
I hope test will be good.
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Me too. The only place I am lifted totally away from earthly concerns is in the studio with brush in hand. How lucky can you be to be able to escape so easily? Kelly's pose has the potential of being a large composition, but I wanted to get the feel of the angles before tackling the big canvas. Black and white kept things simple. I don't know about color. While I love it, I hate it. It fights for attention over forms and lines. Maybe I spent too many years with graphite and charcoal? Oddly enough outside the studio, I am a color whiz able to match shades and tints without aid of samples. At the easel, I tend to go overboard and when I limit my palette to keep me in check, I get restless and always want more. That tug-of-war has to be reconciled.
DeleteThe boys will go in my drafting office. While I see so many things I could do, I don't want to pick at it anymore; there's something there that satisfies and dissatisfies--typical of a mother's relationship with her children. :-)) Thank you for your reassurance Rita. Lots of hugs and prayers to you and yours. We can't have enough of those.
That is a fabulous comment by Rita. Can't say much after that one.
ReplyDeleteBut I do want to let you know I respond with pleasure to the active marks in the Kelley sketch.
Very kind words from Rita for a painting I will always want more from, but will have to be satisfied with whatever it is about it that kept me from wiping it out. The first sketches were always the best part of the process. There's so much promise and no challenges (as yet). 😊
DeleteWhat's the Point?... nice confident, fluid, and expressive brushwork... your knowledge of figurative work is quite evident
ReplyDeleteIf you majored in sculpture way back then, that's all you drew and sculpted--till you realized figurative sculpting wasn't a good occupation for supporting a family, so you went into the design/build business, a tad closer to Sol Lewitt, Eva Hesse and Louise Nevelson, my sculpting hero. Any gal who will walk away from her family, sell her jewels and start playing around with boxes in a cold water warehouse is a gal with balls. ;-)) I envy your love for the Texas landscape that's so apparent in your paintings. Landscape is, for the most part, a calming genre, unless you're into the mountains or the sea. Figurative can be very annoying. Thanks for your visit and comment. I appreciate the gesture.
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