Blog

In a break from the usual , this blog will be fewer words and more pictures. Over the years a few students have suggested I talk less and paint more, and even tried (unsuccessfully) to convince me this would actually be easier on me. Partly true I suppose, but I never think that while I'm painting. Being self-conscious enough to stop and record what I'm doing doesn't really fit with the space I like my head to be in when I'm focused on trying to capture something and do my best work. That having been said, I adore seeing how other artists interpret the world--what gets emphasized and what is downplayed or possibly left out. Without further introduction I'll get to the step by step, adding a few notes of explanation as I go.

This is the set up. I added some dried leaves and flowers to provide contrast and also enhance the movement and abstract design. I'm planning on a close-up of the flowers, so the objects below won't be a part of the final composition.

I've decided on a square format and here you can see the box that gives me the proportions and placement of a group of orchids that I intend to be the center of interest. A few thin dark transparent negative shapes have been scumbled in.

Still doesn't look like much, but I'm starting to build up the lightest lights with a painting knife and I've come up with notes to represent the shadow sides on the left, pushing the contrast while keeping those area thin to help convey the luminosity of the petals. My goal is to make some of these critical observations BEFORE anything on the canvas screams 'flower'. That way it's easier to see what's really in front of me and not be sidetracked by what my brain thinks a flower looks like. To my way of thinking, the big decisions that will influence the trajectory of this painting are already in place. 

At this point I have a good idea of how compelling the focal area will be, so from here on out all of the observations I make will become easier. I've made the best statement of light and depth that my paints will allow. Because I also have defined the boundaries and edges of this main orchid, I can now use the height and/or width to measure the size and placement of  other elements in the composition.

 In the set up, I've gone back and made some tweaks to the flowers around the perimeter. These are judgement calls I make as the painting progresses, sometimes for a better angle or silhouette or to eliminate some tangent that maybe doesn't translate into paint as well as it might. In this view, you can see that the pot the white orchid grows in is way off to the left and out of the picture plane.

Adding other shapes and colors --always carefully relating everything to the statements of color, value, shape, contrast and detail that I've already established.

 I try not to lose the momentum or freshness by keeping my attention on the task at hand and not getting caught up in the idea that I'm doing a finished painting. Once I've covered the canvas I generally set it aside to dry and return later to make any finishing touches with a fresh eye. At that point, the observation part for better or worse is complete and my only consideration is making decisions that will hopefully improve the finished painting. 'Orchids' oil/linen   11x11