Grass is never easy to paint, at least not for me. I don't do many landscapes for that simple reason. Most people think that painting people is the most challenging and difficult. But the elements of a landscape cause me more grief than flesh and fabric. Grass doesn't grow in a mass, it grows one blade at a time. And yet our eye doesn't see every individual blade. As a painter, I strive to portray what we see, not necessarily what is. Grass also doesn't grow evenly. The individual blades grow in clumps, on uneven ground, and at different rates. Portraying all of this requires layer after layer of painting and working and reworking the canvas. Challenging, yet satisfying. Hakuna Matata.
Forgetting the Unforgettable
My mother-in-law passed away almost a year ago. We spent last week at her house working on preparing it to go on the real estate market. Before we left I packed up painting supplies so that I could continue to work even while away from home. I was actually excited about it because there is so much light in her house and I knew it would be a great opportunity to relax while I was there. I had all of my supplies set out and then promptly drove away without them.
Her home is in a small tourist village on one of the San Juan islands of Washington. They have a little art supply store there and I was able to pick up a few things to allow me to do at least a little something. Without my works in progress I was forced to start a new painting. I wasn't sure what to do until we were looking through an old photo album. I almost never paint from someone else's photograph, but this one was done in lighting that I think I can make work. The colors aren't rich and vivid because the photo is faded. But I'm actually excited about the challenge.
My dear husband had forgotten about this vacation and the photo brought back treasured memories. I'm so grateful to have the photos I do to help me remember what I would otherwise forget.
Digging the Rigging
One of the obvious challenges of this piece is going to be the rigging. I got a decent start on it today. I dare say I will be able to paint rope by the time I finish this painting. And in painting all of these details, I have the opportunity to seriously study what is there and ponder the complexity of it all. My admiration for sailors increases with every painting session.
Course Corrections
One of the benefits of posting my progress is that I get to see it from a different perspective. After my last post I realized how off some of my lines were. This image may not seem much different from the last one, but it represents a significant amount of time reworking several areas and correcting several mistakes. I'd like to think I'm beyond such basic errors, but I'm not. The eye can truly deceive, especially when it comes to lines and linear perspective. And my eyes did deceive me. It makes me wonder how often my eyes deceive me in the ordinary acts of life on an ordinary day. How many decisions do I make because I saw something wrong? How much time do I waste because I don't see what I'm looking for when it's right in front me? And how many times have relationships struggled because I saw things based on my preconceived notions rather than on the reality in front of me. Oh, to have eyes to see...
The good news is, that we can correct our course. Every day we get a chance to rise again and start fresh, with new eyes, as we take on another day of accomplishing tasks, fulfilling responsibilities, growing relationships, and making memories. I am truly grateful for the opportunities I have for course corrections in my life.
Fanning the Flames
This is my first attempt at painting fire. It's a very interesting subject in so many ways. I love sitting in front of a fire and watching the flames. I think of all the verbs associated with fire... flames can flicker, dance, and soar; they can lick, waver, and leap; they can even glimmer, glint and flare. Fires mesmerize me. Fire can heal, and it can kill. It is beautiful, and yet can create horror. It is an element, a tool, and an art. It is basic and complex. It is if nothing else, fascinating.
For years now I've contemplated painting flames. How do you capture so much movement and still allow it to feel like movement? I took umpteen photographs and studied how the camera captured the flames. I looked at the colors, the shapes, the hard and soft lines, and all of the angles. And finally, finally, I took a big breath and simply started to paint.
Surprises
It was difficult to complete this painting because I was dealing with the death of my mother-in-law, all of the responsibilities of her family and estate, real estate issues, and other time obligations. However, it was also a very magical experience. I hesitate to use the word magical, but it did just seem to come together. It wasn't exactly what I had envisioned, and it didn't necessarily match my hard-earned references. But what did come about touched my soul and was exactly what I wanted it to be.
The Hurrier I Go
I may have mentioned this in a previous post, but when I was growing up my Grandma Nina had a plaque on her wall that said, "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get". Today was one of those days. I thought the underpainting was dry enough to add a glaze of color. I was wrong. Instead it wiped out the paint that wasn't dry and left a big white spot that doesn't want to take paint. ARG! Lesson learned... don't rush the process...
The Barber Is In
I have been very hesitant to add the hair. For some reason I was thinking I needed to save it for a finishing touch. Today, however, it was driving me crazy not to have it, so I added it. And Ta-Da! He suddenly started to look like himself. It was a real turning point. I seldom approach a painting the exact same way. And when I try to force myself into a certain order or way of doing it, I end up stuck. Today was a reminder that I need to listen to my inner artist and allow myself the freedom to create and find whatever is ready to come forth. Fighting the inner self is always a losing battle.
Peek - A - Boo
HIs face is beginning to emerge. He has skin tones, though not enough yet. Some of his features are coming through. My problem is that whenever I stand back and look at him, I see my son. Am I seeing what isn't really there? Am I painting what I see subconsciously? Or am I just verifiably insane? We may never know.
Hat's Off
Well, I'm off and running with the hat at least. It still needs more work, but I'll need to find a better reference before I can finish it. His face is finding it's shape as well. It's slow going, but at least there's progress. It's amazing how being emotionally attached to the subject can make it so difficult to be objective about something even so detached as painting the figure. It's simply hard to look at what is really there. The human being is such an emotional creature. Our feelings, experiences and perceptions effect everything we do and every decision we make. It's not always for the best, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Drapery
I love painting cloth. There's something about watching the hard and soft edges and the value changes bring depth and form the canvas. And I'm typically pretty good at, even if I do say so myself. But these draperies are not cooperating. There are only two things that can go wrong - shape and color - so I walked away and will go back to it after I've taken a break. I simply can't decide if it's shape, color, or both.
Background - Take II
While I really did like the background originally, it just didn't feel right for the figure. So I'm going in a completely different direction. While wet paint makes for good layering and blending, it doesn't work so well for starting completely over. So I'll have to wait for this to dry and then do another layer on top of it. But already I feel like this is the better direction to go. I remember one time I was traveling with my extended family and were caravanning in two or three cars. Our car got off track and they called to see if we were okay and if we were headed in the right direction. I said, "We are now!" Even though we were no longer on the same road as they were, we had corrected our course. Often I feel overly bad because I've gotten of course in a painting, or in life. But life is all about making those course corrections. We can never go back to where we were before. But because of them we learn, get back on track, and are all the wiser for it.
The Hardest Thing
I was writing this blog post and got into the middle of a very personal and emotional bit about this painting when the page crashed. The internet didn't crash. My web browser didn't crash. My computer didn't crash. Just this page. I feel like I needed a minute to re-think what I was saying. So I'll just say this... This painting is going to be the hardest one I've ever done. It's a gift for someone I love dearly. He requested it of me long ago and I haven't been able to emotionally deal with painting it. But the time has come. I don't have any good references, he wants the references I do have to be combined, and I'm emotionally involved. All of these are a wonderful recipe for a grand disaster. So if you ever wanted to see a painter struggle, just keep following along with this one. It should be a great exercise in trial and error and trying again.
A Little Background
So, a little background information... This is a commission piece. I'm excited to be doing this one even though there are going to be several challenges. And now that I've got a pretty cool looking background going, I'm realizing it may blend in too much with the uniform. So I may have to alter my background before I make any more progress. Getting your background right is kind of like starting with a good foundation. You don't want to have to go back and try to fix it after you've built on top of it. So I'm off to do a little research, make sure I have his uniform color accurate, and then make a decision about the background. Is that enough background for you?
Keep Your Shirt On
Patience is a virtue that often eludes me. There is a lot to do to get ready for the art show and I want it all done yesterday. One step at a time becomes pretty essential. So today she got dressed, but not much else. It's a good thing tomorrow is another day.
Facing the Facts
I loved how her face looked when I blocked in the under layer. I didn't want to mess that up, but I also knew I needed more detail. It's definitely not finished, but her face is developing. As I watched each of my children grow I noticed how their cute little chubby faces had to go through a transitional stage during their pre-teens before it got to the older, handsomer, and prettier stage. I'm sure we've all seen those "awkward years" photos. How embarrassing! It seems that life is like that. When we first enter into a relationship, or a job, or a hobby, or an activity, it goes so smoothly at first. Everything is cute and fun and exciting. Then there's an awkward stage when you wonder what happened to all that cuteness and you wonder if it's worth it. And finally, if you see it through, you come out mature, well sculpted, and even more beautiful that when you began. Here's hoping we make it through that awkward stage.
Soft Shoulder
When I was young I was always confused about the road signs that said "Soft Shoulder". How did they know my shoulders were soft? I would lean my head over and rub my cheek against my shoulder and feel how warm and soft it was and wonder why they made a sign about it. Today she got a soft sleeve on her soft shoulder. I worked on her hand again as well. It just wasn't doing what I wanted it to do, so I turned it on more of an angle and I'm liking it much better. Now the paint is too wet and I'll have to wait until tomorrow to play with it again, but at least it's starting to do what I want.
Getting Handsy
They are definitely not finished, but the hands are developing a little shape. I want to keep this one less detailed than what I usually do, so I'm going slow and trying to keep things soft.
Seeing Is Believing
She now has eyes to see, and a mouth to speak, but still needs an ear or two to hear! Poor dear... Sometimes it gets frustrating, but for the most part it's fun and fascinating to watch the paint and colors move around here and there and everywhere until suddenly they are just right and the figure is looking back at me saying, "You found me!" Grandma Ruby isn't there yet, but she's wiggling her way out.
Lights and Darks
When starting a face I first try to find the areas of highlight (lights) and shadow (darks) that define the plane changes on the face. It's tempting to go into great detail on one facial feature, like an eye, but it's better in the end to make sure all the general areas are correct first. I've made the mistake before of perfecting an eye and then realizing I painted it too high or too low or too far to the right or left and having to repaint it. Lesson learned...