Monday, June 17, 2013

Finished and Sold

This piece really bugged me because of so much tweaking to get the figures close to an accurate gesture.  Rendering like this makes me hate art, but I manage to get sucked into it every time--remind any of you of anybody you know?  I think the head of the lady in the middle is one of the best I have done.  The effect of light is a big fat value chase combined with grey and saturation--a la Sorolla but I keep Potthast and Benson in mind as well--anything to hinder originality--O well.   I often crap out in dark values and fail to lift the lights high enough while holding on to some color--by that I mean I spend so much time building toward the lights that I am sick and tired of the project and just what to "get it out" and fail to put the "kill" on the work--the thing that gives it snap--you real oil painters out there know what I mean--who loves ya?

After a year or so of raising my grandkids I am getting the system down and am building toward 8 hour painting days--something I haven't done since the 80's--I have already lived longer than Sorolla and Sargent and still haven't done squat--according to a recent health questionnaire I filled out--one which predicts one's longevity according to the answers to questions like--do you floss?--I am supposed to be dead at 68--two more years.  Don't you love it?  When asked--Hatfield are you going deef (deaf)?  I love to reply--I have heard enough!  I have also seen enough but don't look forward to blindness.  Anyway painting is still a dear old friend and probably will be to the end--sorry.

Friday, June 7, 2013

BACK AT IT

Working on this 36by36.  I like where it is going--any suggestions as to how to finish it?  Art is done in community--right?