1:31PM update: the transformation of parade 16, which you see below, took place this morning, following a frustrating day yesterday of doing very little. after looking at the intervention i made on parade 17, where collaged elements were introduced and a previously "realist" painting became "surreal," or at least semi-abstract, i scanned the parade paintings i have in my possession (11 have been sent to gremillion gallery in houston) and my eye kept coming back to this one. it didn't seem resolved.
it was challenging to find a way of collaging paper to an oil painting, but i think i found a way that works. my method of working is closer to the way i worked on the series of abstract collages you can see under the drop down menu works, then recent collages. i'm standing rather than sitting. i'm wearing gloves. the process is messy and unpredictable, and engages more of my body. it's an exploration, an experiment really. i was missing that, as these 16x16" views from above that comprise my parade series easily slide into predictability and facility. when the great modern masters...picasso or matisse felt that happening, they would find ways of mixing it up. picasso often would shift into a completely different medium. matisse would attach his brushes to long poles to move away from control. if you're just churning them out, there's no point really. risk is essential. and you can't fake risk!
this morning, before meditating or eating, i leapt into working on a previous parade painting: parade 16. it seemed to me too tame, and the composition was too subject based. not enough chi. so the original is on the left; the current state on the right. imagine if you were a collector and had purchased this painting, and i came by and said i wanted to make some adjustments. would you be horrified; excited; angry, or just plain confused? i'm not yet done with this one. so stay tuned for more changes later today.