Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Philly Montage

Remember how awhile back I mentioned how I wish I had editing software so I could return to some video work, perhaps a lyrical piece from time to time? Well, I did! And here is my first one. Cozette and I captured some footage on our trip to Philadelphia a few weeks ago...


Frames

A large part of my process hangs on the frame. Sure, that's a great pun, but it's also true. The act of stretching the canvas and having a decided measurement of surface area is important to me being able to get going. If I were to go out and buy a pre-stretched canvas I would avoid it. I have avoided them. So a huge THANK YOU goes out to my dad for being supportive and building frames for me. Thanks Daddy-O!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Initial Interpretation of Cozette

I've been staring at this photograph of Cozette for two weeks now. I fell out of the wonderful habit of painting a painting a week. She asked me tonight if I had painted yet and my stomach turned before I replied "no". We had an incredible yoga practice and I came home with lots of wonderful energy. I sat at the blank canvas, decided to throw away the picture I had been studying and just went for it. I'm actually pretty happy with the outcome (which scare the poop out of me).
 It's a little off, but I've come to accept that about all the portraits I've done since I've begun this new process, because that's what it is, a process.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

The Barnes Foundation

Cozette and I took a quick drive to Philadelphia yesterday and went to the Barnes Foundation. It was important to me to see it before it moves to it's new location inside Philadelphia city limits. (It's currently in the suburb of Merion.) Amazing. Overwhelming. Definitely worth the 7 hour drive. This morning we woke up and went to one of my favorite places, the Philadelphia Museum of Art...
I'm sure I have a lot to say about the trip. I got home about an hour ago and I thought I was going to fall asleep immediately, but no such luck. My mind is reeling with thoughts, notions, ideas, good stuff. I would love to paint right now, but I need to wake up in a few hours to go to work. I thought if I jotted something that perhaps it would clear my mind enough to slumber.

On the drive home Cozette said something that made me realize that for the first time since I don't know when I didn't look at the paintings this weekend from a historical standpoint. I simply looked at them as what was in front of me and assembled thought and opinion on the moment. That's a landmark thing for me. I'm not going to say now why that may have been; I'm still processing. I am however very glad to be aware of this shift as an observer of art.

Monday, March 7, 2011

petit mieux

I made a few adjustments and feel better with the expression. Not sure it really looks like Age, but it's without a doubt a pretty face.
 I just couldn't get her nose. One of these days there will be a random post of just her nose because I'm not going to stop until I get it. I am going to work on other portraits in the mean time though. I feel three is a good number, so the next series of three will be of Cozette.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

not quite

I've been working on another painting of Adrienne today. I have to walk away. The mouth, which I usual nail, jut isn't right. I've put it on my refrigerator to look at and figure out how to fix it.
It looks like she's sneering. And she doesn't have eyebrows yet, which is always weird. So I'm walking away and will return to it later. I'll let you know how it goes.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Adrienne (hands)

I'm so glad I took a few hours to paint tonight. I feel regenerated and connected.

Since this blog is about the process I took pictures of the painting as I went along; the first picture was taken and hour into the process...
7pm
8pm
9pm (fin)
 When I started on the hands I started to panic. It was at this time I decided there would be no eyes at all; in hopes I could just focus on those hands. When Adrienne saw the photograph she really liked how her hands looked. This is my interpretation. The most interesting thing happened though....  even though I was looking at a photograph of HER hands, as I write this and look at the photograph above I realize,  the index and pinky finger look like mine. The other two are hers. Her hands are not that masculine... whoa... those are my hands! How did that happen. Awesome. I love it!

By the way, Age, you have an amazing nose. That's going to be my next focus, Adrienne's nose. She has beautiful nostrils that I have not been able to translate to canvas with my technique.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

pour faire

I promised myself that I would post something at least once a week. I'm not in habit of spending time on my computer when I'm home, so I'm a day late with that. I don't have anything to post as far as current work. I should soon though. My dear Cozette came over on Sunday and we watched Two in the Wave. 

 I've been away from the French New Wave mind set for quite sometime and I'm glad it was reignited.  I was very inspired by Goddard and Truffaut a decade ago. One August day many years ago Cozette and I shot a couple rolls of 16mm with a Bolex she had and didn't know if worked. We named it Jean-Luc (the camera). It's made me think about things that so sharply influenced me in the past and wonder how that influence remains. I really need to work with video/film again. After watching this documentary, I'm aching for it.