Femme de feu final... A tripartite approach that finally speaks to me!

I finished this one in a hurry, anxious to test the grounds on my new three-pronged approach to painting...

This last painting seems to summarize best where I want to go in terms of my future art, an art that best reflects my own preoccupations with regard to graphical expression:

• A foundation of pure realism (what inspires us, the starting point, the natural world)
• Deconstruction of some sort giving the sense of the "immaterial" within what's material (the void that permeates everything)
• Childish Zen-like lines with little involvement from the rational mind but powerful enough to provide an anchor to vanishing forms

Another aspect which, all of a sudden, seems to become important in communicating with the viewer:

• The use of words and/or meaningful symbols (from a personal standpoint) to reinforce graphical elements

Chinese calligraphy, Chinese black ink painting, Zen art, Zen philosophy and the practice of Taichi have deeply influenced my thinking about art... and this new development in my art is only a beginning!

Note: this painting will be re-shot in the daylight and featured in my "New series 2012" slide show...

Femme de feu IX - step III... More paint on me than on the canvas!

I used one hour this morning to achieve a potentially viable color scheme (it's hard to avoid red when dealing with fighters!)...

Covering one square meter on raw canvas is always a challenge but using a wide stiff brush really helped this time. I tipped the scale towards red and added final color nuances with this next pass....

 ...before proceeding with some "off the wall" stuff, at least for me!

Femme de feu IX - step II... A rather conventional start!

I used the second pass to block the bare canvas with no precise idea about the final color scheme...

I wouldn't mind a phantom-like look for this one... with parts of the face disappearing into the background.

Femme de feu IX - step I... Looking for more of a martial attitude!

With the female fighter in mind, I started a new one this afternoon with potentially more character than the previous ones...

I'd like to integrate everything that I've done so far with this series, i.e., expressionistic realism, primitive kid-like scribbles and partial deconstruction with drips and paint roller marks. With this approach, I'm starting to see a parallel with the art from the street, especially thinking about realistic wall paintings being subjected to kids' graffiti or being partially destroyed by either the elements or stripping (partial removal of the top paper layer from overlapping wall posters). My intent is to solicit emotional responses at different levels using diverse pictorial languages within the same picture. I see also some potential in reintroducing "matter" but only in strategic areas within the picture plane.

This is a 36 X 36 canvas...

Femme de feu VIII final... Opening another door!

I completed my experiment on a new textural effect with raw cotton this morning...

Applying textures with a 4 inch roller requires some "getting used to" as every move is finite!  A number of application ideas came to mind after this experiment... in support of higher contrasts between mid tones and light tones.

Note to self: "This avenue may be my salvation as I run out of raw cotton/linen four to five years down the line... In a nutshell, when it comes to textures, I want more than the usual painting knife effects on a textured background with either raw or primed canvas. This new technique goes in line with my idea about deconstruction... high risk/high payback!"

Femme de feu VIII - step III.... Making the jump!

I did a quick third pass (2 layers) with thicker paint to refine the facial features further and create some drama...

My next step is to add textures with a roller... this is totally experimental!

Note: Raw cotton is so different from raw cotton/linen that the technical readjustment is always brutal... but the pastel look is appealing to me...

Femme de feu VIII - step II... Gaining some respect for street artists!

The second pass was a blocking exercise including a slew of adjustments to get closer to the look I wanted (further alignments are required)...

I realize the skills required to work on a large scale and this partial face at an angle is most challenging for me... besides, the small size of my home studio is a major handicap! I need a thicker layer before proceeding with more drastic moves...