Monday, March 23, 2009

The Naked Crab

This challenge has been kicking my ass. First off all the naked body issues stuff, then the fact that my vision far outstrips my talent at this point, and I am feeling those limitations keenly, as I take my first few whacks at figure drawing, and then there is the fact that I am getting a little Klimt-ed out, or maybe just not in a very Klimt-y mood right now. His paintings are all dreamy, glowing sensuality, and quite frankly, I am all angsty, crabby PMS.

This is a Klimt woman:



This is me:



You can clearly see why I am struggling to get into the spirit of this thing?!

Many attempts have landed in the bin. I seem to be fighting the sub-conscious urge to slim myself down. I managed a sketch I really liked, good likeness in the face, decently proportional, but then realized that I had somehow managed to elongate my torso and slim my hips at least 15-20 pounds worth (O, the programming to want to be skinny runs deep!). Another attempt yielded a reasonable body and a totally effed up face, or a rather nice sketch gets badly botched when I try to paint it. Grrrrr!

Today's efforts produced something that I actually like, not love mind you, but it won't be binned. There are parts I like, and the body is much more true. The face looks a bit like a cross between Professor Snape and my Aunt Vivian, but really that's how I am feeling today so perhaps it is apt. Anyway, I am sharing it as a work in progress. The great thing about getting so frustrated with the process is that I no longer have any qualms about the body reveal. I am much more hesitant about the flaws in the work itself than I am about my own naked butt. Maybe painting and drawing it 57 kabillion times, has brought me some peace.


I am thinking this will probably get torn up or deconstructed somehow and incorporated into a bigger piece.

Now, I am off to threaten to "slug" people and sit pensively by a toy piano.

5 comments:

  1. I like that you can see the angry depth. It's very textured.

    And on the bright side, you *do* give good psychiatric advice for just 5 cents!

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  2. You guys are so sweet. Appreciate the encouragement, on the sucky artwork. Yes, certainly nothing like I had in mind going into this, but the attempts that hit closer to that mark felt farther away from capturing "me".
    I am grumpy right now. My basement is flooded. My children are sick. I have overdue taxes. I am a country and western song. I just couldn't muster any nude sensuality a la Klimt (or anyone else for that matter!).
    So yes, I am going to come back to this whole naked idea when the hormones have receded and life has calmed down a wee bit, and try to capture more of the bold, joy in my initial reaction to the challenge.

    And incorporating a pet spider is an excellent idea!

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  3. the naked project has been put on pause by unproductive weekends and cranki-crank-crank-ness here too.

    Office: 3/4 done.
    Frustration 75%
    Mood: Blah

    Sounds similar. The fact that you can acknowledge your emotions at all is amazing: most can't!!

    I say leave it; come back to it. I'm in no rush either & of course I'll share with you :)

    Sorry about the flooded basement and sick kids.

    I'm picturing you sittin' on a teenie tiny little chair beside a little piano now.

    :)

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  4. Fo' sho'. Stevie-baby said he wants to be Schroeder, but he's not allowed to spurn my advances, so it just wouldn't work out. I just finished painting a nude I really like, gonna post it in a sec.

    And KD, I hear you on the mood and frustration! I might need a break from the GR challenges for awhile, I feel like I'm not getting enough time to do my own thing.

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  5. i love it, love the colors, it doesn't seem somber to me, but art is subjective if nothing else of course

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