3:19 PM: the ground on this painting, which has been painted over at least a dozen times, was simply too dark. i liked the deep pink, but everything was tending to sink into it, creating a dark vibe that wasn’t me. so naturally i went over the whole thing with a thin coat of titanium/zinc white and then started painting & drawing into it while it was still wet. the result thus far, which you see in this final photo of the day, has a warmish grey tone, with the underlayers peeking through as usual, creating a somewhat mysterious image, which i’ll paint and draw into tomorrow morning. the seated figures are inspired by taiga’s paintings of scholar/poet/painter/musicians sitting under the trees near a waterfall, sharing their stories. i feel a strong connection to these guys and their way of life, endangered as it was by the uncertainties of ever changing regimes, which made it necessary for them to flee at a moments notice, in fear for their lives.this human presence in a painting means a lot to me, and very likely to those who will see them. there’s a story here. right now, just telling the story of our magical creeks is not enough for me. i need to dream the story of these 18th c. buddies of mine, and how they reveled in one another’s poetry, music and painting.
a word about layers. i don’t set out with the intention of creating layers upon layers of oil paintings, one on top of another. but sometimes, not always (that would be a gimmick) it happens. it happens as i search for solutions. scraping, drawing or painting over what i scraped, and so on. i love when magic happens. there’s no mistaking it. all underlying marks and colors, whether visible or not, contribute to that potential magic.
so, until tomorrow my friends.
12/19/20 creek oil at 2pm
2:17 PM: snow showers continue, with increasing winds. it should get heavier after dark.
here’s the current state of 12/19/20 creek oil.
in an obvious return to my sound of a flute series (see drop down menu item above) this is a version reflecting all that came after that series, which was executed in 2019. i’m still finding my rhythm with this one, which thus far is relying more heavily on marks made with oil crayons than the brush.
i’m going to carry on working for another hour or so, and will post when i’m ready to wrap for the day.
12/19/20 creek oil at 1pm today
12:45 PM: as predicted, snow is falling & should continue into the night. we’re hoping for at least 3”, which will be good for our yearly precip totals.
i’m working into 12/19/20 creek oil right now, so i can’t say too much till later this afternoon.