Jeremy

As an artist one must take advantage of the resources one has at his fingertips. As such I decided to have my friend model for me as I avoid doing any serious paintings. I don't know what it is about simple portraits that interests me. It is by no means an artistic or technical accomplishment, though my skill becomes ever so sharper with each piece that leaves my brush. I just simply find satisfaction in them.

Jeremy has gone through three short painting sessions and seems to be coming along nicely. I'm not sure what to do with the background. I suppose I'll just keep glazing the hell out of it. The shadows also seem to need a bit of work. Alas I am "le talented". This shall be a good one. Next I will be more ambition and paint a 30 x 40 of my friend Miss Jasmine.

Asylum Interior

Today I decided that having a subject bores me so I will paint an interesting interior instead. I also  would like to rededicate myself to passions past of insanity. My professor has rearmed me with a slew of interesting topics to read up on so I am very excited to see what images I am able to pull out this time around.

As this image is devoid of the living and bares the scars of time, I shall have a glorious time rendering all sorts of textures and surface lighting. The selling point in this one is going to be getting those windows right. I'm going to have to pull a page out of impressionism for this one. It would be lovely to have some perfectly rendered photo realistic windows, but it would also be highly unnatural. Stand in a darkened room and look towards a distant bright window. Notice how the light creeps over the edge blurring it slightly, how it pours into the room and latches onto every minute detail, how looking directly at the window seems to darken the rest of the room temporarily. I must achieve all of this and more. It is challenges like these that make me so glad to be a painter. When would anyone else take the time to appreciate such simple things as a light filled window.

Garden Piece Commision

I love painting but something about it just leaves me restless. Mostly I interpret this as a need to constantly challenge myself. So many ideas and never enough time. Today's challenge was presented to me as a request that I readily accepted. I was given an old school metal milk jug and asked to paint the family dogs on it. A rounded metal surface that I'm sure is going to give me hell in terms of proportions. The jug is destined to become part of garden decor so it also needs to be sufficiently protected. I finally have the chance to use the super glossy glass resin that I have been eyeing for months now. When it drys the resin takes on the appearance of glass. I love me some shiny things.

Things are progressing along nicely. This is about 4 hours of work. One good day should bring this home then off to its owner.

Mickey

It seems my renown as an artist is growing, even more reason for me to keep producing. Not so long ago it came up in conversation at my local grocers that I am an artist and it so happened that a painting commission was desired. The subject, Mickey Mouse, wasn't the most strenuous creative subject, but hopefully will help spread my reputation.

I had fun with this and finished in two sessions. Again my photography skills leave much to be desired. Now it just needs a day or two to dry then off to next project.

Wrench in the system

Same story different day. I won't bore you with the details. The bottom line is that I am not producing. That is not to say I am not working. Oh no, not at all. Painting never leaves my conscious mind, bordering on obsession some days, but that is what an artist must face. The constant battle against one self.

I am deeming Pinky officially abandon and the Pandora series is facing execution. I spent the better part of my day contemplating all sorts of drastic actions from ripping the canvas off the stretcher to adding obscene amounts of paint thinner, none of the friendly mineral spirits either. I'm talking about coma inducing varsol. I can't tell you what happened. The Pandora series is just drained of all the passion and pleasure. Her fate is yet to be determined for now. 

As for Pinky, she behaved and accomplished all that I had hoped. I learned some things and had fun, exactly how a painting should be. Now I ask myself why a study is acting like a painting and the painting is acting like a spoiled brat. Maybe I should just take the cue and realize I am not one for detail ultra planned work.

On that I will start work on a new piece soon and possibly finish my self portrait. There will also be a brief interruption of real work for a holiday piece that is way over due. As it is all planned and well underway I estimate 2 good work days will get me home.

Potrait study: pinky

Today I'm claiming that my muse told me to stop painting serious stuff and do some studies to work on my technique. In response I have dug out several small wood panels, 12" x 16", and I plan to paint all kinds of portrait studies. The first one out of the gate is just an old reference photo I had laying around.

The technical challenge in this one arises from the unnatural hair color and the full figure shadow. Typically my subjects are well lit and can use some pure colors, with this one everything has to be mixed and toned down. I suddenly realize all the subtleties of grey. (Which is in no way a reference to that terrible novel) Overall the skin tone is far from what I want it to be. Presently it looks as if she has a darker skin tone rather than a light skin tone in shadow. I imagine this could be better achieved through glazing, but I continue to fail at producing a proper glaze. I'm going to try out this new recipe for medium that I got from my friend.

On a more positive note the form is starting to look rounded. If this turns out well I plan to hang it in my bedroom and class that place up some. Nude females are classy right?

Pandora #4

Slowly but surely Pandora trucks onwards. I deemed myself to exhibit some constraint and complete them one at a time. The first one to experience completion shall be the second composition because it possesses the most actions and seems to be holding my attention the best.

I'm beginning to notice a discrepancy in style, most likely due to the prolonged break I took. I'm hoping this will be corrected as I narrow my focus and start to detail the piece. All of the major compositional elements have now found there place so I need to take the next scary step and start working everything together. I plan to obscure the figure slightly with the 'tails' of the heads. This should hold the composition together better and give it some depth.
I also need to kick up the spiritual natural of the heads to make them appear closer to the concepts they represent rather than be flying heads. It has been said that this piece has a comic book feel to it. I'm not sure how I feel about that so I'll let it be for now.

The little things

As of late I have been in a slight creative rut. The ideas continue to overflow, but an overwhelming concern of the larger picture smashes them into submission. Typical artist self doubt I suppose. Can't let such a silly thing get me down. I know I got the talent to make it. In some ways that isn't the point though. My goal isn't to become a renown artist, just a fulfilled one. I dream of the day when my physical work will match my internal expectations. I could quite literally have my dreams come true. Imagine how it must feel to possess such an ability.

On another note Pandora finally moves forward after her long stay in the corner. She still fights me at every turn, but i can't ignore her taunting any longer.

I resolved to turn off my brain and just work. I know where it needs to be, I just need to put in the time and get her there.

Self Portrait 5

I appear to be on the border of genius or disaster, which is the only way to approach a masterwork I suppose.

I sat back not sure what to do next then somewhere in my head a voice said 'lime green oil stick'. Be it madness or my innate creative genius I listened without hesitation. I added a sort of aura around myself with it. There is still a great deal of detail work to be done, but I need to let this creative decision sit for a bit.

Alternatively, I have begin work on a new series which I dub The Untranslated. As I wandered around the internet one day I stumbled upon an article that detailed a list of words in other languages that cannot be directly translated into English. The overall theme has to do with relationships and emotion. Come to think of it this particular approach is bordering dangerously close to illustration. Hmm. Anyways it is still very early in the process...

leopard 2

Ladies and gentleman a painting is almost done! There is a small matter of some detail work and severe scrutinizing, but for all purposes the end is within sight. At least that is what I was thinking this morning then I went to see the Impressionism show. Oh my god there are no words. There was some pieces in there that just made ya think, 'That there is a masterpiece'. They inspired me no doubt, but then I come look at my work and I think, I got a long way to go.

I still enjoy the painting greatly, but it just doesn't have the wow effect. At this point the composition is pretty solid, so I must play up the brushwork more. Really push the power of nature onto the viewer. Remember it Romantic with a capital R that matters.

Self Portrait 4

Here is one of those massive updates that I promised you. Overall everything is coming along nicely. It is already a good painting. Now I just need to bite the bullet and make it a great painting. It's a bit unnerving being on the brink of good and great. I know I have the talent and knowledge to do it, it's just a matter of action. Despite this I am going to take a day to read and instill upon myself the supreme confidence this painting deserves. I also believe a bit of soul searching is needed to make this a true self portrait, what subtle visual cues can I add to make it really me.

Slight distortion from the camera, but no matter. The figure is firmly grounded in an environment and compositionally sound. Now for the detail work, oh how i loath thee. Adjustments need to be made for nearly the entire piece. Highlights, shadows, imperfections, edges, all that stuff. So yea guess who is thinking about starting a new painting rather than finishing this one.

Leopard Commision

It has come to my attention that I had long ago promised to complete a painting of a leopard for a close friend of mine. Fear not my adoring public, I have not lost steam with my self portrait. One simply needs to acknowledge the value of maintaining friendships and connections, for it is those that are most important, especially in the art world. As it is a straight living room piece made for aesthetic value, I don't foresee this piece consuming too much of my time. That said I will still approach it with the same vigor and dedication that I do all my work. If anything I should put more work into this one since it will go out into the world and be a face of my work.

I messed around with various compositions and finally fell upon this one. I took inspiration from the Romantic era, my favorite =3. At the moment I have only partly developed the tree trunk that will dominate the picture plan because it was just so seductive as a subject. The colors and texture begged me to paint it. I will start work on the leopards during my next session.

Self Portrait 3

The work continues, but it is too slow for my liking. I must seize this moment of inspiration and light a fire under my brush. This is always a weird stage in painting for me. There is so much work to be done and I can see the final piece peeking out. I find myself too often just staring at the piece reassuring myself that the composition is sound and a beautiful painting is emerging. I am a bit afraid to continue for fear I will ruin it and push away any potential genius.

Despite this I enjoy this in between moment. Someday when I have a more masterful control of my technique I want to create a piece that makes full use of all the painterly texture. The dripping solvent, the thick brushwork, the bold color patches, a painter's wet dream so to speak.

 At the moment everything seems to be playing nice still, unlike Pandora who is still sitting in the corner. There are some glaring proportional issues with the arm and hand, but that is not worth the worry it will be fixed in the next hour of work.

Self portrait 2

I feel good about this one. I'm not quite sure what it is, but everything is going good. Now I just need to stay on task and make sure it doesn't run away from me. My professor told me to make sure I maintain the relationship between the foreground and the background or the composition could quickly degrade.

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I'm pleased to see that this familiar subject was really easy to get. Maybe I'm more vain than I thought. More tomorrow

Self Portrait: Twenty Five

My Pandora series continues to misbehave so I put it in the corner for now till it decides to play nice. In the mean time I have begun work on a self portrait. It has been a while since I made one so I am definitely due for one. Also I have the feeling it will be a pleasant milestone for later in life when my body has deteriorated and my fame is overpowering.

This is one of those pieces where I am working on pure inspiration which is a really awesome cycle. I feel the need to create without any research backing the work. I have no idea where this composition came from, all I know is that I need to paint myself as some sort of general overlooking his battle plans. I threw on a face vest, set up my camera and away I go. I plan to put something on the table edge, but not sure what it will be. Proportions look a bit odd, but I was good and used a grid so I'm just gonna say foreshortening is messing with me again and ignore it.

Pandora #2

I have been working hard to maintain my manic pace of work, but the other day I hit a conceptual wall. I was painting away progressing nicely when I stood back and realized I made a wrong turn. Everything looked completely wrong all of a sudden. Painting is sneaky like that. I did my best to fight and work my way out of it. They were not hearing any of that though. After a few hours of thought I decided that I lacked the substance behind the paintings. I was so excited to get back into my work I forgot what it means to properly research. If you go into a piece with an empty mind, its going to show. On that note I got some reading to do, but here is where I am right now.

Pandora Series

Glorious day! I has finally organized my life and will now be painting every, health and social life permitting. To kick off my return to painting I have started work on a series based upon the myth of Pandora's box. I believe it ties in well with the direction I am taking in painting and gives me a reason to paint my friend Christine.

Without further adieu I present the initial stages of each piece in the series.

Composition 1

The figure will be a prominent element in each composition because it is through her that the story unravels. For this series I want to try and place heavy emphasis on the emotional condition of Pandora. Conceptually I'm claiming to draw from Vermeer. I want to try and create private little moments and encourage the viewer to explore the scene with their eyes, of course this means I'm going to have to figure out how to create a believable scene.

Composition 2

This one will be more active than the other two so I have to be careful not to over do it and make it overwhelming. The bad stuff that Pandora let of the box will be represented by disembodied heads. In order to keep the focus on Pandora they will be slightly smaller than her head and less saturated.

Composition 3

 I am also doing my very best to ignore my typical ADD painting style and focus on one element at a time, in this case it is the face. Everything else in the composition will be built up from the face.

Adaptation Charting

Being the hyper active artists that I am I managed to squeeze in another show before I left this weird place called Finland. This one focused more on my contextual experience rather than the development of my own ideas. The project called for an emphasis on photography, but being the crafty guy I am I managed to warp this to something I was more comfortable working with, an animation / process drawing.

This was the result of about 2 months of work. Everyday before I went to bed I made one quick drawing on a large piece of paper and took a picture. Each drawing was made to represent my day, so as an art piece I don't think this is very successful. It is more akin to a source of memories for me. Other people in the group approached this project as a scrapbook, available for all to freely read. I didn't want to make things to easy for the viewer. I felt that this chaotic assembly of imagery represented me better as well.

Halfway through my process drawing I got the feeling that I wasn't going to be entirely satisfied, so I went ahead and jumped into my favorite medium. I also felt that I didn't have enough work. Finland just wasn't pushing me enough.So I thought I would put my skills to the test and see how many paintings I could produce in 3 days. Keeping with the theme of documenting my stay on the other side of the world, I decided to do a sort of anthropological documentation with a slight twist. I asked some friends to come by and I would paint a straight portrait. The catch was that they had to make a funny face. Each person is from a different country and the expression was their own choosing. I liked this series much better than the drawing. It still maintained the main idea, but it was filtered through me now.

Who We Are

Like a good little art student I finished my stay in Finland with an exhibition of my work. I'm not really sure how I feel about the series as a whole. I had a chance to refine my technique and work out some concepts. It was quite the switch from the factory production pace that is expected in Montreal. When I stand back it feels like just another drop in the bucket. I feel an incessant drive in the back of my head and despite my best efforts I have not even begun to define it. I wonder now if it will ever be defined or will this be the buzz the pushes me to my limits till my time has come. At the moment I think that the answers I am seeking lies within some abstract art theory or psychology text, so my research must continue.

Animus and Persona

Anima

 

Shadow

These four pieces represent Carl Jung's main archetypes, the organizing principles of human thought and personality. I chose this theme for my stay in Finland because I felt that it would effectively cross any cultural barrier, and believe me there was a bunch of them.

In order to encourage people to actually comment on my work, I covered one wall in paper and wrote 'Who Are You' in the center. Even in an English environment it's like pulling teeth to get comments about your work so I thought this would be a bit encouraging. The images above is the result after a 3 week exhibition. In the end there was a lot of great answers and I'm glad I included it.

Reflecting back on the show I couldn't help but think about the marketability of this series or even portraiture in general. For whatever reason I am drawn to that particular style of expression, but I can't really see a use for it besides my indulgent need to endlessly create and express the ideas whirling around my head. I suppose we will all have to wait and see what becomes of me and my work.

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.