2021 creek oil 1 26x78” at 2 pm today
1:58 PM: a few small additions just now. you’ll notice some white bubble marks in the blue water that weren’t there before, as well as a few more darker blue marks center-left. small as these additions are, if you scan the image wtih your eyes before & after these small additions, you may notice a subtle but significant change in how you perceive the space.
2021 creek oil 1 26x78” at 12:30 pm today
DETAIL
DETAIL
12:44 PM: that orange was too much, so i introduced a warm grey, as well as some darker blues and whites, beneath some of the rock shapes, giving the viewer more of a sense of water. the dots are from plastic bubble wrap pressed onto the wet painting surface so that they pick up some paint, and then pressed in another spot, where they deposit some of that wet oil paint. i’ve used this technique in earlier paintings, for example in my gaze series (you can view the series if you click on the dropdown menu on the upper right of this page.)
one might say that 18th century japanese painter ike taiga, about whom i often speak, gave me permission to dive deep into pattern. the nabis vuillard and bonnard were great at exploring their endless possibilities. vuillard, surrounded as he was growing up with fabrics used by his mother & sisters in making dresses, was steeped in patterns from childhood.
2021 creek oil 1 at noon today
11:41 AM:feels like i’ve been working on this painting for a very long time. each time i’ve make changes, it has remained in the tan-ish range, with accents of white. this is the first time stronger colors have appeared. i may continue working on this one; not yet sure.