Yoga series - I think it's a start: my usual fetish photo after 2 paintings!

After a couple of paintings which are the sum total of a fair amount of uncertainty and hesitation (when I start something new, I never know if I'm coming of going!), I feel comfortable saying that I've actually started this new series...

My first painting (top) was literally a "fail safe" portrait of the Yoga instructor I'm using as a model for this series. The second one (bottom) is more representative of the new direction I finally want to take in 2010, i.e., mixing techniques and emphasizing textures more than ever. In my quest for textures, I found that by creating partly absorbent (paste) and partly non absorbent (gel) grounds, I could leverage both watercolor and opaque painting techniques. In a way, I want portions of any of my paintings to appear unfinished as if reality is gradually emerging from nothingness...

Note: Just notice the empty 1 liter bottle of Merlot... not a bad mileage in the making of 2 large paintings!