Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Process

From eager beginnings

collage, a couple layers of acrylic to begin to build the colours, and starting to add texture with heavy gel
An idea. Composition laid out, colours planned. I know what I want from this painting. The mood I am trying to evoke, what I want it to say. This is where I am all enthusiasm. Creativity pulsing, paint flowing! 
Fearless! 
Inspired.

To the jumping off point

More heavy gel texture, and acrylic glazes

Glorious texture and colour that is deep and rich. I really like what I have so far, but it isn't finished, not even nearly so. It needs meat and purpose. The colours are still a little too "new" for me, lacking in sophistication. This is the hardest part for me. How to proceed without wrecking what I have so far? To add without subtracting? I struggle. The process slows to a crawl. I have to push myself to keep going. I have to jump off the precipice, put aside my fear, experiment, take chances, be willing to sacrifice what is for what is to come. There are missteps, dissatisfaction, near panic ("Oh no, I've rooned it!!"). But I push through. I keep working.

To the breakthrough

more paint, transfers, heavy gel, charcoal, ink and tonnes of BSW (blood, sweat & tears)

I start to hear a voice singing from the canvas. I can't stop looking at it. I prop it up where I can see it even when I am not working on it. I am excited again. It's not quite finished yet, but very, very nearly. I consider it in different lights, from different angles. I look at it with curiosity. It has become its own entity, not mine to wrestle into submission anymore -it is itself. Now I just have to look and listen, paying careful attention, to learn what it needs for completion.

10 comments:

  1. This is absolutely GORGEOUS. I love seeing the beginning to end process. Seriously. Amazing. Julie and Chris's class has pushed you in wonderful places.

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  2. Love the breakthrough result! As a non-painter, it does tend to astound me as to why painters start off with one color only to end up with a completely different one at the end.

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  3. @Dawn Thanks! The texture town course was truly revelatory. So many techniques that I wouldn't have even considered, to come up with the depth of texture that I have been after for a long time. That, Layer Love and the Colour theory course have each caused my work to leap frog ahead. Will forever and ever be an ardent Julie & Chris fan!

    @CountryDreaming Thanks! The colour layering is all about creating depth and interest. Looking at a block of colour in one of your gorgeous photographs, the colour is rarely if ever "flat", it has all sorts of minute variations from light to dark and different tones. So I work to create colour that has a sense of history and depth (because I like things aged looking) and with colour variations to add interest. But yeah, I didn't understand this either when I first starting painting, and was always frustrated that my paintings looked really blah compared to the artists I liked, and had no idea why.

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  4. The finished result is beautiful! But, I like it in all its stages.

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  5. WooHoo! So beautiful! Thank you for sharing the process!

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  6. love. LOVE. can't wait for GF to see, I just sent her a link. i'll be back later to "study", you know because that's what I like to do.

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  7. HI Evangeline! What a great painting...so cool to see the process!

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  8. My friend you captured the creative process perfectly with your words. I can identify with everything you've shared. And I've got to say it is one beautiful process and terrific result, love the textures and the final colours you've achieved.

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