Thursday, October 29, 2009

Preparing a new series on Yoga... coming soon to a theater near you!

This summer, I decided to dedicate a series on Yoga, remaining true to my objective of continuing the exploration of the human figure using a contemporary approach to paint application (I know no other way for God's sake!)...

With this series, I would like to explore the abstract aspects of the human figure through unusual cropping and lighting. I would also like to go totally abstract on backgrounds, something I've timidly started to do more recently...

I owe one to my wife's superlative Yoga instructor. I was floored by her skillful demonstration of Yoga poses... coincidentally, I had to be to take these photos! Thank you Geneviève!

Meanwhile, I'm still holding on tight to some garden flowers as we're closing the gap to November.... perhaps as a pure demonstration of machismo in the face of my neighbours ... or is it my inborn need not to give up on the "still living and kicking"...

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Moroccan woman commission - steps II-III ... back to the easel after responding to an emergency!

As my mother suffered a transient memory loss (we were informed by one of her neighbors), I had to temporarily move to my parents' place 60 miles from Montreal to take care of this potentially dangerous medical condition (my mother is 87 years old). Before leaving Montreal, I had her take an aspirin as a precautionary measure, which was the right thing to do under the circumstances. Fortunately, this condition appears to be transient with virtually 0% relapse rate. A brain scan revealed nothing... so I have to thank the Guy Upstairs for this positive outcome...

Back to the easel, I applied a few rough layers (thin in the dark areas and thicker in the highlights) going for somewhat of a painterly approach and a prudent monochromatic color scheme (not willing to do pirouettes with this one!)...

I will sleep on it for a night before calling it a "done deal"...

Note to self: "They say that every piece of art is a prayer. Well, if it's the case, then this one is dedicated to my mother...."

Update: Just a few additional brush strokes were required for me to reach satisfaction (mind you, my expectations are low... when it comes to details!)...

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Moroccan woman commission - step I extended... the 1% that broke the camel's back!

Looks like my estimated 99% completion rate for step one was a rather rough estimate at best (mind you, I started off with a couple of 3" X 2" photos, one of which was dating back 7 years!)...

If anything, I had to fight doggedly to obtain 100% likeness, luckily obtaining in the process a better representation of the client's facial features, i.e., more conformed to the way she looks now (slightly more streamlined).

Looks like I'm back to "zinc white" country with this one, in an attempt to retain as much color power as possible while working "more opaque". Needless to say, I'm crossing my fingers as I proceed to the next level!

Note: funnily enough, my first attempt at the nose ended up producing a plausible nose... but an eagle beak one! It's interesting to observe that, in portraiture, a quarter inch can "make you or break you"...

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Moroccan woman commission - step I... looking for a safety net big time!

I used the prudent approach with this one and, although there were no preliminary drawing, I'm about 99% there in terms of likeness (I got lucky!).

Another transparent wash to define the color scheme and I will be ready for a more expressive color layer... I hope! I'd like the third step to be a finite number of brush strokes. This 3-step approach has served me well in the past...

My short painting sessions for this one were interspersed with a few outdoors activities to entertain visiting family members from Belgium. The Chinese lanterns at the botanical garden were awesome...

... notwithstanding the Mont Tremblant scenery, just before the winter...

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Exhibiting a pot-pourri of my works... hoping that the audience would not focus too much on the "pourri" side!

A musical concert was my 2nd opportunity this year to introduce my works to a local public...

As usual, I enjoyed direct interactions with the people who came by to get a closer look... and I thank them for their their interest in my art (many business card were picked up).

Listening to Sergiu Popa's distinctive East European sound was a real treat. The whole evening amounted to an extraordinary fusion of the semi classical (beautiful violin accompaniment by his wife) and the folkloric (Sergiu's virtuoso style accordion playing) interspersed with jazz like improvisations from Sergiu and two other members of the group (impressive piano player from Mozambique, young skillful percussionist). While the music was playing, I couldn't help imagining in my mind the impact that it would have on my brush work on canvas... luckily for me, before the end of the evening, the muse (my wife) had already reserved a copy of the CD (there were only 4 available for the whole audience!)...

Monday, October 19, 2009

Lost Garfield for a day... finally, a sigh of relief!

Sunday, our cat executed a disappearing act that would have made Houdini proud. After a day's search inside and outside the house, there were only 2 conclusions to be drawn: abduction by an extraterrestrial being or the cat took a slant on the wild side. Our cat never went outside alone, so we were a bit worried to say the least....

Our last desperate move was to rattle a bag of treats on the veranda after sunset. Luckily, this produced 2 beaming eyes and a distinctive "meow"... Gushing out with a flash light, I realized quickly that I would not be able to capture our elusive cat easily in the wide opened space. Capitalizing on its tendency to smell any extended finger, I managed to grab one of its front leg like a snapping turtle... proving once again that old age and treachery can overcome agility and speed!

Meanwhile, I'm getting ready for my second mini exhibition in the context of a concert tonight...

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Yakshi statue- final step... outside my comfort zone again!

While struggling with this one, I kinda forgot to leave brush marks...

... well there's always the next time around! This is an attempt to have a few "more commercial" paintings to offer at my upcoming concert exhibition, October 19th. I'd like to start a new series on Yoga in November, so I am frantically trying to get used to the new color palette using these non threatening experimental paintings as a departure point. I replaced crimson by a more permanent violet and ultramarine by a powerful turquoise. Keeping azo gold as a yellow, I see versatility with this limited palette that I did not have with my previous one (color range, color strength). The two new colors are extremely powerful and as such are tough to control (a bit like phtalo blue that can easily overpower other colors in mixes)...

Note to self: "My alla prima approach so far is a collection of tentative brush strokes almost like a trial and error kind of approach. I will be satisfied only when each brush mark is decisive!"

Sub-note to self: "I realized that when it comes to the painting knife, I want to be a "scraper" and not a "butterer". When it comes to the brush... I want to leave a mark!"

Monday, October 12, 2009

Yakshi statue step III... a painful encounter with a new color palette... but getting there!

This stage took a few quick passes instead of a unique one... I had some technical difficulties controlling my new staining colors to achieve the desired earth tone I was after...

I did not see a big difference with the soft gel on a large surface like this one... so my epiphany was short-lived! I need to put this one to rest for a day... before going for refinements here and there (e.g., I want the face to be rounder, the right arm to be larger, blue nuances in the violet, real reflected light, a more sweeping hip curve, etc...). I tipped the scale towards realism... so I need to follow suit!

Note to self: "At least, I seem to have made some inroads in rapidly building textures..."

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Yakshi statue step II... arts and crafts but not painting!

As I did for the last runner, I built textures at the underpainting level using impasto gel mixed with paint and spreading it with a palette knife "as if it were not ointment"...

My intent is to build further textures with the brush as I'm proceeding with my color scheme... ideally with one extra coat only "alla prima" style. I'll soon find out if I'm all talk... and nothing else!

Note to self: "I sure mastered imprecision in a hurry... I'd like to spring back a little... a saving grace: some of that texture will shrink! Next time around, I will also use a bad brush to counterbalance the knife marks and add variety right from the get go... also, I still need to control the palette knife's gas pedal!"

Sub-note to self: "I'm usually afraid to go with a palette knife over an underpainting done with a brush... now I'm afraid to go over this underpainting done with a palette knife... with the brush! I guess, I kinda like the textures as is... suggesting that the next time around, in this style, I should go with one thick coat with final colors after the thin underpainting... period!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Who am I? Well, I'm the Curator who curates... at least for a day!

I'm not doing much painting these days (mostly clerical stuff post exhibition). Some people have shown an interest in my previous "women's eyes" series....

Looks like I'm curating for myself for a day!

Note: Since I met an artist-curator, I can't help but think about a Jacques Clouseau statement (delivered with a heavy French accent by comedian Steve Martin playing that character in a more recent movie of the Pink Panther series ): "So, you're the trainer who trains", in response to a trainer who had just told him that, as a trainer, he trained people...

Update: One of the paintings sold with potentially one more to go for this particular home event (two potential buyers were invited)...

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Idling between series... and thinking about Yakshi statues from India...

Mentally getting ready for a new series on Yoga (I will photograph and draw a Yoga instructor next week), I've decided to kill time by painting one of those Indian statues depicting courtesan women/goddesses, a so-called Yakshi. This is an opportunity to practice textures. Here is step one starting off with a prudent reddish first coat with no prior drawing (this is a 20 X 30 canvas)... it's a good thing I have a portable mirror!

Some of those statues make the Kama Sutra look pretty tame... and even modern India is embarrassed! I will make a special effort to spare my audience the "graphic" details! As for me, they are merely irresistible female Buddhas...

Note: This is based on a statue in my studio..."

Neptune very final... an epiphany in brush mark retention!

Watching Pietro paint last weekend, I noticed his heavy use of linseed oil with paint and his "not messing around" with paint after each brush stroke. This led to the retention of every brush mark, a key objective of mine. With acrylics, one can use stiff impasto gels with paint to built great textural effects and I came to the realization recently that the painting knife is the best tool for that, not the brush. Pietro indirectly made me realize that, if I want to replicate the brush effects that he obtains with oil, I need to mix paint with a soft gloss gel (not regular gel)... and this has been corroborated by a technical book I bought recently on the use of acrylics. Thank you Pietro!

I used the Neptune painting to carry on my experiments...

I now have the technical tools to "go berserk" on textures using both the brush and the palette knife. So I repeat a previous statement of mine: "Attach your seat belts, you're in for a bumpy ride!"

Note to self: "This painting is now a collection of different techniques and, as such, is a bit awkward. I would like to redo it with more fluidity.... I will wait for the appropriate moment when I feel mentally strong... then I will zip through it... painting white can be a killer!"

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

My last weekend exhibition - 2nd update.... my first encounter with a Curator!

Last week end, at my exhibition, I had a chance to meet a woman (a rather distinguished lady I might add) from my corporate past who is a very skillful mixed media artist now doubling as a curator on behalf of artists. Our conversation went like this:
  • Myself: "So you're a Curator?"
  • Curator: "Yes" with a nod of approval
  • Myself, expecting an old man: "So this is how a Curator looks like?"
  • Curator: Big smile:)), no answer
  • Myself: "What do you do when you curate?"
  • Curator: "You should ask what can I do for you when I curate". Note to self: You've been outsmarted buddy!
  • Myself bewildered - I couldn't help but think: "So, she's a Curator who curates..."
To this lady Curator, I meant to say: "Sorry I couldn't offer more than athletic 200 pound gorillas to ornate the walls of your selected public places and restaurants. Hopefully, my production this coming year will be more attractive to you! Thanks for having fetched my coordinates... a genuine expression of optimism vis-à-vis my potential artistic career."

Monday, October 5, 2009

Another successful painting exhibition... I'm super charged!

I thoroughly enjoyed my collaboration with Pietro Piunno for this second major exhibition of mine. Watching this skillful colorist paint in oil "alla prima" was an invaluable experience and his professional advice to me will sure be taken into consideration. Good luck Pietro and let's keep in touch!


Setting up the exhibition went like a breeze... and I almost felt like James Bond on a mission slapping plastic moldings on paintings mounted on foam boards at a frantic pace!

We had close to 80 people showing up over the course of 3 days (close to 40 at the opening night)...

In a nutshell: one year of honest work to put "ma blonde" (French Canadian term to refer to one's girl friend or wife) on a pedestal for a few hours... while sipping wine and hearing spontaneous comments from friends, relatives and perfect strangers about all this "wall to wall" beauty that she inspired! It was also a chance to go "boo!" (sort of an ego trip!) with the portrayal of those human machines involved in the Olympic 100 meter dash. It seems that my attempts to convey their sheer determination and brute power struck a cord.

A year of efforts culminating to a crescendo note of a few days: was it worth it?.... you bet, I would redo it anytime!

A special "thank you" to all who stopped by. A number of people wanted to attend but had last minute obligations or mishaps that prevented them to do so. Thank you for your kind consideration. To all of you, I want to express my sincere gratitude. Your show of support will give me the strength to pursue my artistic saga in the years to come. À la prochaine!