Lou Lou #3

Lou Lou is coming along nicely. I finally figured out how to paint an extreme side view of an eye. Its one of those weird things that you would think wouldn't be a problem, but it really is. I am not sure how I feel about the glow of the volcano's peak. I like the brush work throughout, but its not quite Caravaggio level. Yea, I aim that high. Next day I will rework the face, legs, and consider pushing the scenery back in an attempt to make it look like she is in front of a window. I will probably also add a bit more paint to her arms to bring up all that lovely texture.

Agony study

Today I could not focus on what I was suppose to be doing so surprise surprise, I started another painting. This is a possible study for an idea I had kicking around for a while. I am fascinated by the extremes to which humans are capable of. I been trying to think of a composition that would suggest such an idea without implying too much else. Is this man in great pain? In the midst of an orgasm? Or possibly just yawning? Mark Rotko had the right idea. His consuming abstract pieces are genius. I want to try and bring that theme to the figurative world. As I am writing this I realize that this study is also reminiscent of an earlier work I made called 'Media Frenzy'.

I am still no entirely satisfied with this one, but maybe its worth checking out again. It was made in one of my moods of blind creation. I had no clue what I was doing or what exactly I wanted this piece to mean. I just felt it had to be made. Usually moods such as that produces some of my best work. It then stands to reason that maybe I should stop thinking so much and just work.

Anima nearly there

The date of my exhibition is looming so I think its about time I finish some paintings. All four are nearly done, I just need to put in a good work day for each. Anima has been giving me the most trouble by far. I suppose it is because I have a personal relationship with the subject, as opposed to the anonymous scavenging I do usually. I darkened the background and put some work into the face. The face still bugs me for some reason.

Its proportional, colors are decent, doesn't look entirely lifeless, well maybe a little. A friend commented that she looks doll-like. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I'll figure it out. At the moment I think its something to do with the eyes.

University is silly

On one of my random work days in the studio I stumbled upon this interesting memo.

Fair enough point. I suppose the university has some sort of responsibility to the hundreds of students that pass through there. What's really funny is that not even 1 meter away I find this such installation.

I'm pretty sure they punctured the wall.

Rubens-Abstract

I made this piece when I first switched from acrylic to oils. The aim of the project was to create an abstraction based on a Romantic or Baroque piece. I chose the 'Consequences of War' by Rubens.

The compositional influence is obvious, but I also tried to maintain some of the energy and chaos of Rubens' piece. It was a really interesting experiment because I rarely dip into pure abstraction. As a movement I think pure abstraction is a genius and an excellent device of expression, but something in me really needs figuration.

The devil is in the details

Today I spent some 4 odd hours poking at Persona's hands. I'm pretty sure I only made them worse. Some days your painting is like a bratty child, it just won't do anything you want it to. In my frustration I moved on to the first mask. It started off pretty well, but I am a little concerned about the size and placement of highlights. I suppose the only thing I can do is keep on working.

Handsy

Hands detail WIP

Today I started work on Persona's hands. For some reason getting started was like pulling teeth. I knew what I had to do, I knew how to do it, but for 2 hours I just stared. Thankfully I finally managed to focus and get something done. It quickly became one of those nights when security rolled around and I had to leave even though I was painting at full steam. Days like this is exactly why I miss 24 hour studio time.

More thinking than doing today

I started the day filled with ambition, but decided to do my cat impression and stare off into space for several hours. Fear not however, these hours were not wasted for I solved the compositions for Miss Loulou and Persona.

Face Detail

 For Persona I wanted a mask type that was designed to hide the identity without insinuating another one too bluntly. This brought me to Venetian Carnival masks. As I was browsing around for reference photos I came upon this lovely gem. I briefly entertained the idea of placing it at the center and giving a nod to Freud.

Miss Loulou will be getting a bursting volcano for her to gaze upon. It will create a nice contrast with her skin tones and imply all kinds of wonderful symbols. Still at a very early stage, but I like where this one is going. I will have to consult with the model and see how she likes it.

Persona Day 2

Good news: The new painting technique I am trying out works wonderfully. It just requires a bit more focus than my usual.

Bad news: In a moment of contemplation I realized that my composition now reflects Michael Myers.

Its funny how paintings can evolve and pull visual cues from all over no matter my intention. Now in order to fix this interesting development I am going to have to be a big boy and make my final compositional decision and figure out how to depict the 'masks'. I can tell already that this choice will either make or break the painting. The masks will be a conceptual and visual focus so the pressure is on to make the right choice. I was hoping to cheat a bit and just have white theater masks, but as I pointed out that's not going to work. It will still be a few days before I start painting the masks so I have some time to think. Today I focused on the upper body. Something about the lighting is bugging me, maybe a bit too bright. I will tone everything down on Monday and make his abs more defined. I don't think I will touch his face anymore and once I settle on a hair style I can declare the head finished.

Jung Series - Persona

I love oils, but I am still struggling to make them look like oils. Every time I put a bit of effort into my paintings they seem to get so cold and lose that painterly effect. I have been reading up on some old masters and I am trying some different ways of painting. Looks good so far. Let's hope the paint stays this sexy.