The last pass will aim at correcting anatomical flaws (left arm), refining dark areas (I overshot mud!) and enhancing contrasts here and there with calligraphic brush strokes ...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Kauai beach scene two - step II...risking to become the king of mud... just for a day I hope!
That day was partly cloudy, so I kept plugging away with grayed colors in the rendition of the scene...
The last pass will aim at correcting anatomical flaws (left arm), refining dark areas (I overshot mud!) and enhancing contrasts here and there with calligraphic brush strokes ...
The last pass will aim at correcting anatomical flaws (left arm), refining dark areas (I overshot mud!) and enhancing contrasts here and there with calligraphic brush strokes ...
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Facing the subject on canvas... but pondering on "bigger" subjects!
Two days ago was my birthday... and as I'm getting closer to the big SIX "O" (I'm now 57), alone in front of a canvas, it's hard to avoid pondering on the "bigger" subjects such as life and the passing of time... besides, grand children are a reminder!
Two years ago, I decided to abandon my career to sort of "live to paint" while enjoying the journey... now, it seems that sooner or later I will be painting to live, to feel more alive... as a visceral need! Or perhaps, it's just the crummy Montreal summer (so far) and my oscillating retirement funds level that make me feel that way...
Meanwhile back to reality, I'm tackling the muse once again with this Kauai beach scene:
I think, I'll go "monochromatic" with this one. As the two guys are staring at each other, an heavenly creature is passing by... those guys should be reduced to their simplest expression!
I worked on the color scheme this afternoon... using a foundation of dirty colors (single colors mixed with black)...
I think I will entitle this one: "Bermuda triangle".... the bag in the middle has to go!
Two years ago, I decided to abandon my career to sort of "live to paint" while enjoying the journey... now, it seems that sooner or later I will be painting to live, to feel more alive... as a visceral need! Or perhaps, it's just the crummy Montreal summer (so far) and my oscillating retirement funds level that make me feel that way...Meanwhile back to reality, I'm tackling the muse once again with this Kauai beach scene:
I think, I'll go "monochromatic" with this one. As the two guys are staring at each other, an heavenly creature is passing by... those guys should be reduced to their simplest expression!I worked on the color scheme this afternoon... using a foundation of dirty colors (single colors mixed with black)...
I think I will entitle this one: "Bermuda triangle".... the bag in the middle has to go!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
A pregnant pause: Painting on the fence, my manifesto for the remainder of the year!
Before attempting further works, I've decided to put my thoughts together as a guide for my future painting approach:
- The paint is applied with anything handy, and that includes the brush!
- The paint is thick yet it’s transparent
- Thick paint and dripping paint coexist
- Thick paint and transparent paint coexist
- Blurriness and sharpness coexist
- Drawn and painted structures coexist
- The approach is minimalist yet it’s picture perfect
- The abstract and the figurative are intimately intertwined
- “Black & white” and "full color" may coexist
- Monochrome and "full color" may coexist
- Bright colors and their toned down versions are intimately intertwined
- Warm and cool colors are intimately intertwined
- Values go from pure black to "pure white canvas" (no paint!)
- Experimental and fail-safe approaches coexist
Thursday, July 9, 2009
After the race III- step II... getting my hands dirty... with dirt tones!
For the first color layer, I decided to go with this rather simple grey color scheme leaving the sienna underpainting show through...
... I saw an opportunity for some painting knife work on the background... so the second color layer gave me this:
I zipped through this one without thinking too much, applying colors in a rapid sequence as if painting a watercolor (with the same kind of panic city approach!)... until I reached a certain level of satisfaction.
I will leave it alone for the rest of the afternoon before applying a few final touches tomorrow morning when my mind is clear (the updated version will be in the slide show). I need to recuperate from that painting frenzy! It seems that, these days, painting for me is like making the best of an emergency!
Note to self: "Now that I think of it, my abbreviated painting technique, sort of a short-hand approach, seems to follow its own evolutionary course... beyond me. I think where I can really have an impact on my short-term development is in my choice of subjects (the human body still or in movement, water and aqua environments), in the way I crop these subjects and in the way I present them (ideally with multiple view points in the same picture, something single photographs can't deliver). Leveraging abstract patterns in composition and in the rendering (brush strokes, textures, high contrast) will also be important. This is what I will endeavour to do until the end of the year."
... I saw an opportunity for some painting knife work on the background... so the second color layer gave me this:
I zipped through this one without thinking too much, applying colors in a rapid sequence as if painting a watercolor (with the same kind of panic city approach!)... until I reached a certain level of satisfaction.I will leave it alone for the rest of the afternoon before applying a few final touches tomorrow morning when my mind is clear (the updated version will be in the slide show). I need to recuperate from that painting frenzy! It seems that, these days, painting for me is like making the best of an emergency!
Note to self: "Now that I think of it, my abbreviated painting technique, sort of a short-hand approach, seems to follow its own evolutionary course... beyond me. I think where I can really have an impact on my short-term development is in my choice of subjects (the human body still or in movement, water and aqua environments), in the way I crop these subjects and in the way I present them (ideally with multiple view points in the same picture, something single photographs can't deliver). Leveraging abstract patterns in composition and in the rendering (brush strokes, textures, high contrast) will also be important. This is what I will endeavour to do until the end of the year."
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
After the race III - step I... the last kick at the can for this series!
I wanted to finish the series with the "look of pride" of a champion runner after a successful race...
I would like to give this one a "total contemporary" look...
While attending the Montreal jazz festival this weekend, I ended up passing by a series of contemporary art exhibits on Ste-Catherine street, realizing that this was an annual event organized by FIMA. Although I've developed some skills with acrylics over the last 2 years, looking at the works of participating professional artists gave me the feeling that I still didn't belong...
There is no two ways about it: in the next 12 months, I need to realize quantum leaps in technique and originality if I'm going to fit in! All of a sudden, I have an urgent need to part dramatically from what I've done before... while maintaining a certain evolutionary continuum leveraging the techniques that I have developed thus far."
I would like to give this one a "total contemporary" look...While attending the Montreal jazz festival this weekend, I ended up passing by a series of contemporary art exhibits on Ste-Catherine street, realizing that this was an annual event organized by FIMA. Although I've developed some skills with acrylics over the last 2 years, looking at the works of participating professional artists gave me the feeling that I still didn't belong...
There is no two ways about it: in the next 12 months, I need to realize quantum leaps in technique and originality if I'm going to fit in! All of a sudden, I have an urgent need to part dramatically from what I've done before... while maintaining a certain evolutionary continuum leveraging the techniques that I have developed thus far."
Friday, July 3, 2009
Samana beach kids two - final step... not there yet but starting to understand my own mud!
I had poor source information for this one and had to rely primarily on my recollection of the event... so, all in all, I'm fairly satisfied with this attempt... not in terms of technique but in terms of believability...
I stuck to the impasto gel this time around... and it seems that I have finally adapted.
Lately, I've read a lot about color theories... and realized that my limited palette contains primarily transparent colors including ivory black, a warm transparent black, and a few modern pigments (Azo Gold is one of them). My limited palette of transparent colors is a saving grace considering my propensity for mixing mud... transparent mud that is! For now, my favourite strategy is to toggle back and forth between bright colors and dirty colors. Let's hope my work doesn't end up in the gutter!
Note to self: "I need to keep the spirit of the first color pass until the end... two to three passes later but not ten... to avoid pure realism!"
I stuck to the impasto gel this time around... and it seems that I have finally adapted.Lately, I've read a lot about color theories... and realized that my limited palette contains primarily transparent colors including ivory black, a warm transparent black, and a few modern pigments (Azo Gold is one of them). My limited palette of transparent colors is a saving grace considering my propensity for mixing mud... transparent mud that is! For now, my favourite strategy is to toggle back and forth between bright colors and dirty colors. Let's hope my work doesn't end up in the gutter!
Note to self: "I need to keep the spirit of the first color pass until the end... two to three passes later but not ten... to avoid pure realism!"
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Samana beach kids two - close to final... painting with mud but it's transparent!
After this 3rd pass, I'm pretty much where I want to be. I'd like more contrast in the water area especially in the foreground... I'm also looking at withdrawing the boy's upper left arm behind his upper chest... amongst other minor anatomical adjustments...
Painting kids is a challenge for me as I'm not used to their head/body relationship.
Note: I took a week of vacation taking a rest from painting... an activity that seems to be, from time to time, both brain and nerve wracking for me... particularly since I don't know where I'm going these days!
Painting kids is a challenge for me as I'm not used to their head/body relationship.Note: I took a week of vacation taking a rest from painting... an activity that seems to be, from time to time, both brain and nerve wracking for me... particularly since I don't know where I'm going these days!
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