Have a Drink On Me
10" x 10"
oil on cradled wood panel
2010
I need a drink right now, this one was tough and it's self-imposed challenges like this that can cause an artist to question one's sanity and then go deep into drink. But I won't, I'll just relax for a bit and massage my sore art muscles. This was good and fun, satisfied with the results. Now I can return the fabric back to the sample closet at school, happy to never look at it again!
Studio music this week:
Peter Gabriel- Big Blue Ball
Nancy Hall and the Curios- Pillow Book
Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience with a very detailed self-imposed painting of leaves with light and shadows, working 8 hours a day for several weeks straight. It was transformative. It cast me from realism to plein air impressionism. After a year and a half, I'm back to more realistic painting. Watch out!
Drink huh? Well painting so intensively can drive us to strange things, or places within ourselves we never realised were there to begin with. I love the retreat into that place within (into the 'zone') and have forced myself back onto that transforming road of concentration recently to finish and start (and finish) work for my solo exhibition in May. Like Donna I am sat at the easel for well over 8 hours a day (listening to weird space music ;)) pushing the paint, stipling and glazing colour over colour until the light is right and the realism is at its peak. As for the whole challenge of painting so realistically? I don't know why we do it to oursleves but when we see the results on canvas there can be no doubt it was worth the back ache. A very beautiful painting Denny but no. I wouldn't paint that material again. Now I am ...off to open that bottle of Merlot
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful, Denny, though I can certainly understand never wanting to see that fabric again. The work you put into its texture is very evident.
ReplyDeleteDonna~ I have some trepidation with getting so realistic, since I love loose brushstrokes (like Barbizon school), but I do find the challenge of mastering technique (maybe someday)
ReplyDeleteenticing.
April, April, April, I only held off the drink because it was still morning and I had to teach 33 students the pros and cons of using marker over colored pencil. But here it is 11PM and rest assured a celebratory glass of cold chard is at hand. Thanks for your kind words!
ReplyDeleteThanks you, Lynda. Tonight I slipped that fabric deep under a pile of samples never to be seen again. Unless one of my students finds it and uses it in their project...hmmm...maybe I should have burned it ;)
ReplyDeleteDenny, I think the racoon beat you to the booze. lol It sounds like you deserved that glass of Chardonnay at the end of a busy day. All the best with the next painting.
ReplyDeleteWhat a striking painting Denny. I guess when we can no longer look at a particular fabric (or in my case a particular collection of fig leaves) ever again, we can console ourselves with the knowledge that we've wrung every last drop of inspiration from the initial concept. Hope your sore art muscles recover soon!
ReplyDeleteExcellent work! This has a very luminous quality to it.
ReplyDeleteLove the warmth of this playful painting.
ReplyDeleteGreat work Denny!
Thanks Pete~ muscles are already feeling better, ready to go at it again. Looking forward to seeing those leaves when they're done!
ReplyDeleteJeremy, thanks~ and I like your latest lemon/lime study- keep knocking those paintings out.
ReplyDeleteHey Pierre, thank you too...did you notice how I borrowed your idea of listing my studio soundtrack each week?!! I'm really enjoying your work on Painted Snapshots...
ReplyDeleteworth while projects such as this painting of yours deserves the time and sweat put into them. great job. It shows you endured and ended with something well worth the effort.
ReplyDeleteNow have that drink.
Gary, thank you...this round's on me.
ReplyDelete