Racing start two - step VI... a monument raised to unspontaneous spontaneity!

The painting process for this painting was the antithesis of freedom in art, a prime objective of mine.

Nonetheless, it gave me more than ever a taste for that freedom...

Now back to the third painting from this series, which at this stage looks like a trophy from my short-lived athletic career, 30 years ago! Got to inject some pizazz in that sleeper of a background... results can be viewed in the slide show on the right (still fairly tamed but a little better in my view).

Note to self: " Where is freedom in art?... Between watery dripping paint and opaque impasto paint? Between pure colors and mixed colors? Between smooth transitions and calligraphic brush strokes? Between systematic painting and loose style painting? Between pure technique and painting as if writing? Between working on paper and working on canvas? Between total abandon and full control? Between formula painting and beginner's mind painting? Between intuitive and cerebral painting? Between abstraction and figuration? Between a focus on process and a focus on the end result? Between planning and improvisation? Between glazing and alla prima painting? ... I suspect freedom is taking whatever avenue it takes to to illustrate one's vision from the moment the brush hits the canvas with no preoccupation with style, and with the spirit of no-mind to borrow from Zen philosophy!"

Racing start two - step V... I seem to be getting somewhere, I think!

Before starting to work on the figure, I reworked the background a bit and replaced the pale purple red by a lavender color.

My next step is to integrate the figure a little better in this environment by reworking shadows and highlights...

Note to self: " On the basis of this experiment, I feel compelled to rework the boring background from the previous painting. I will execute myself after this one... hopefully not literally!"

Racing start Two - step IV... stuck in the mud for a while at the start!

The transparent background approach had to be discarded... from lack of technique (should have aimed for this approach right from the beginning).

Based on the above step this morning, I saw an opportunity perhaps to match the purple blues and purple reds from the background with the oranges and yellows from the figure (roughly complementary colors in the Munsell color system):

I used more black than usual at the early stage with this color scheme and it seems that I spent the greater part of my creative process trying to get out of the mud. More refinements of the figure, especially in the dark areas will be necessary. The background was done with "no method in the madness"... and the color scheme doesn't seem to work from lack of warm colors in the highlights... I think!

Racing start Two - step III... still roughing it out!

An 1 1/2 hour of frantic work (always relatively out of control!) got me to a stage where I can start to paint for real.

I will pursue with transparent colors on the background to retain some of the red... so I better figure out where I am going pronto! The night should help!

Note to self: "I was a bit more prudent with the previous background being afraid to detract from the figure. This is not a problem this time around... it would be a pity not to go loose style with more nuances!"

Racing start two -step II... an underpainting à la va comme je te pousse!

Not having a lot of time to paint, but wanting to make a dent, I spread a reddish violet color across the whole canvas with a painting knife. My intent is also to develop a textured surface before any further color applications.

I am starting to see the figure more clearly... along with potential viable abstract patterns. Let's hope I don't spoil the picture!

Racing start Two - step I... the return of the alien!

Here is a real opportunity to go abstract in a chiaroscuro environment.

Let's hope I will have an easier time than painting the red box in the previous painting, which took 10 coats of paint including a white "control-alt delete" layer in-between !

Racing start one- final pass... at last!

After multiple trials and errors, I finally settled for this version...

I introduced another diagonal with the red box to create a seesaw effect with the other diagonals in the lower part of the picture. I also reemphasized the starting block, so that it becomes a more obvious starting point to investigate the figure...