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.