I've talked before about painting fabric and today was another fun fabric day. It was fun to play with the lights and darks, hard lines and soft lines, and moving the fabric here and there and eventually right where I wanted it. I also got a start on the epaulets. I'll have to go back when the paint is dry to finish off the buttons and badges, but they got a good beginning.
The Grandpa Shirt
When my boys were little and we would buy them a plaid or western shirt, they would say, "Oh! I got a Grandpa shirt!" This one isn't plaid, but I think it still qualifies as a Grandpa Shirt. Once again it was fun doing fabric. There are only subtle folds and wrinkles, but it was fun to make the collar twist and turn and pop and finally come out just right.
Paint By Number
I had a friend ask what my process looks like. I was thinking that I was sharing that since I post at each stopping point along the way. But today I realized that I've only been sharing the stopping points, and not the points in between. So here is what I call the paint-by-number stage. I spent years watching Bob Ross paint happy little trees that just magically appeared on the canvas. When I started painting I thought it would be like that. While I still have fond memories of watching those happy little trees, there is a big disservice to the art business in those shows. It just doesn't happen like that. I could spend an entire post explain all the reasons why, but I'll move on. Every artist has their own approach. For me, I find the lights and the darks and lay them in all around the figure. Sometimes it's only in a single area, like the lips. Other times it's a bigger area like here, the entire face. And then I blend it to a soft stage like this...
And then I do it again and again. I call this layering. Each time I repeat the process I see lights I didn't see before. I see darks that are darker. I see shapes that are not quite right. So I paint by number again and soften again until suddenly, there she is. So tune in again tomorrow and we'll see if we got there!
Waves Passing Over Me
I have waves pass over me all the time. Sometimes they are waves of exhaustion. Sometimes waves of shame. I've experienced wonderful waves of joy and plenty of waves of hunger. One summer, not too many years ago, I spent a week in southern California and tried my hand at surfing. I experienced plenty of literal waves washing over me, knocking me off my feet, spinning me in circles. Sometimes when the waves hit there's nothing to do but wait for them to pass, get your bearings again, and then keep moving on. Occasionally, though the waves are warm and comfortable and you want to wrap up in them and hold them close and never let them go.
Soft
Again, this is only a charcoal concept drawing, but it the beginning of the next painting in the series. As I was considering the idea of "soft" I imagined many soft things. However, in the end I wanted to keep it as simple as possible. So she will be lying in and on and under feathery softness. I have to admit that working on this made me want to curl up in my bed and take a nap...
That Moment
You know that moment - when the planets align and you just know that everything is going to work out? That moment when everything comes together just right and and everything clicks? I got to have that moment today. I've spent three days on her hands now and the frustration was starting to build. I've done this long enough now to have faith in the process. I knew it would come together eventually. I just didn't want eventually to be some time next week. And then I suddenly watched a certain line of paint go in a certain place at just the right angle, with just the right value, and jus the right thickness, and I knew. I just knew that this was it. I kept going with what i was doing and moving along from finger to finger and with each one it just worked. And then ta-da! I was done! I've had that experience many times. But today I was very acutely aware of it and I am feeling extra grateful for that awareness. I know this happens in many parts of our lives and I've come to realize that it's the being aware that makes the difference. I'm grateful today was a day of awareness and now I get to experience that moment over and over again in my memory.
Security Blanket
I don't remember having a security blanket as a child. But I have plenty of "security blankets" now. When I start feeling insecure I like to wrap up in a blanket (it doesn't matter which one) and curl up in my chair (it does matter which one!) and veg out on the computer. Sometimes chocolate is my security blanket. My dog Twilly can be a pretty good security blanket too. My favorite security blanket is my husband. He's the one that can offer both physical and emotional comfort. And then there is my Heavenly Father who is the source of comfort and hope. I think it's important for children to have a security blanket (or object) in order to find that comfort that familiarity brings. And in the end, we are all children on the inside.
Warm Embrace
This is a charcoal drawing I did as a concept sketch for my next painting. Still working with the idea of Comfort, this piece will be about embracing. Often an embrace is pictured with two people in a hug. But I wanted to capture the idea with just a single figure. When I think of being embraced, enwrapped, cuddled, and snuggled in comfort, I think of a warm, soft blanket. I want her to have a look of appreciation and familiarity more than a relief from fear or struggle. I'm having fun with the charcoals. I'm not spending the time on them that I do with the paints, but just playing with them again is fun!
Comfort
I realized today that I've been so focused on painting that I've neglected my sketch journal as well as my artist dates. I've been pondering some emotional things the past few days and one theme that keeps returning is Comfort. How does one visually illustrate comfort without any figures? I can think of objects that symbolize comfort, like a blanket, pillow or teddy bear. I can think of comforting people like mothers or grandparents or friends. But comfort in and of itself? I think of warm, soft, encompassing, safe.
Handy man
I did a little t-shirt work and put in his hand today. I love painting fabric. It's all about hard and soft lines; light and dark values. And generally fabric comes together pretty quickly for me. But for some reason, today, the hand was easier than the t-shirt. It just goes to show that sometimes the canvas is in control, not me.
Rhododendron
Well, my little Rhodie didn't get finished in a day... but I think she's coming along nicely just the same. This has been a great exercises in both hard and soft lines, as well as lights and shadows. I can see that I need to follow my own rule and stop being afraid of the dark! I think as I deepen the shadow areas it will really bring a greater sense of depth to the flower.
