revision of "good doc V" /  by Philip Tarlow

good doc V, 38x35”/89x97cm. oil & collage on linen

2:03 PM: today is actually an excellent example to the creative process, or at least my creative process. i could not have reached this point without having done everything you observe in the before image i posted below.

i painted over the entire right portion of the composition and replaced it with the faded pink of the brick floor. it’s now way easier for the eye to roam about unimpeded. and the focus, naturally, is now on the duplicate figures of the good doctor with his blue plaid shirt, as seen from above. the yellow bit i left untouched, to the left of the figures, it now far more critical to the composition, as are the adjacent reds.

there’s a third figure below, which i haven’t much talked about. he was inspired by an 18th c. japanese print, and stands next to a large vase, almost half his height. right now, as i gaze at the painting from my usual 20 feet, it seems resolved. this one in particular really needs to be mounted on stretcher bars to eliminate the surrounding white canvas, which i’ll do as soon as it dries in a few days.

BELOW: before & after today’s modifications

"good doc V" continues /  by Philip Tarlow

good doc V, 35x37”/89x94 cm. oil & collage on linen as it looked at the end of my painting day today

2:34 PM: i’ve been away from the studio more than usual, and am just getting back into my flow. i did more work on good doc V today, and currently there’s more going on than i feel comfortable with, but i may feel different in the morning.

elements inspired by 18th c. japanese landscape paintings co-mingle with views from above and tree trunks scattered about our land.

the walking figure of the good doctor seen from above has duplicated in the upper left, and some landscape elements have appeared. the more i gaze at it from the usual 20 feet here in my studio, the more i’m liking it. i think introducing a duplicate of the walking doctor adds a syncopoation to the composition not unlike what happens in good jazz. thelonoius monk is always hovering someplace in my consciousness. in fact, i’m considering re-naming this series jazz. it will take some time & effort to re-name it everywhere on my site. but listening to thelonious is what kick started it all, and jazz reflects the mood of these pieces a lot more than good doc, which is far too literal.

the second walking doctor image i introduced today

some changes to "good doc V" /  by Philip Tarlow

3:30 PM: i had very little time to work on this new painting this morning, before leaving for Salida for a doctors appointment. I think it's much improved. the before and after are BELOW, and you can judge for yourselves.

YESTERDAY

TODAY

post-deer, starting "good doc V" /  by Philip Tarlow

good doc V, 35x37”/89x94cm. oil on linen, as it looked today at the end of my painting day

3:53 PM: on our way home from the dentist 2 days ago we hit a deer, causing damage to the front of our car & making it impossible to drive without repairs. so we rented a car, provided by our insurance, and today the tow truck picked up our cat & drove it to the repair facility in denver, specializing in acura. it won’t be ready for at least 6 weeks!

so i’ve missed a couple of days in the studio, and when i walked in this morning, most recent painting i was working on seemed complete to me, so i started a new one: good doc V. it has a similar feel, and is pretty far along, but does need more work. we have to drive to salida tomorrow morning, so i likely won’t be able to get back to this new on till sunday morning.

today’s palette

continuing work on good doc IV /  by Philip Tarlow

1:41 PM: after a crazy thunder/hail storm about an hour ago, the sun is out, but not for long. up to 18” of fresh snow is predicted for late tonight. we’ll see.

i continued work on the new good doc IV today, and have to stop a bit earlier than usual so we can drive an hour to my dentist appointment.

i did quite a bit of work on thjis ne wone. it’s building on what came before in unexpected and refreshing ways, with the central figure, inspired by a view from above of the main character in the tv series the good doctor, strides forth amidst japanese patterning and local fallen tree trunks. there’s even the beginnings of a sky on the upper right.

i’ve got a firewise meeting tomorrow morning at 10, so we’ll see if i can work around it. our committee is suggesting ways of fire mitigation that are more sensitive to the environment, and don’t cut any trees or branches that don’t really need it. more tomorrow…

starting two new paintings /  by Philip Tarlow

DETAIL of good doc IV, which i started working on today

3:51 PM: i cut 2 new pieces of canvas, the exact size of the previous 2 paintings :35x37” and got to work on the first one, whichis just asketch right now, albeit a fun & interesting one! the good doc figure seen from above, has inserted himself already, but could well be bumped out tomorrow.

my approach could be termed a meaningful melange. drawing from a variety of sources, i envision a kind of hurly burly intimism, as writer mario naves titled his essay accompanying the janice biala exhibition in 2009, at tobor de nagy gallery, nyc. by that phrase, naves indicates the tension between the everyday and abstraction, which characterizes biala’s work.

i feel lately that i’m on a steep learning curve, hovering above all that i’ve done, all that i’ve learned, allowing it to manifest in new ways that do, indeed, meld the everyday with abstraction. not by any means to compare myself with biala, who i met in provincetown in the early ‘60’s, i feel compellingly drawn to ther work.

re-visiting skoufa II /  by Philip Tarlow

skoufa II, 37x35”/89x97cm. oil on linen, as it looked at the end of my painting day today

1:48 PM: my process of switching back & forth between 2 paintings i’m working on seems to be productive. so today i returned to skoufa II, which has the same 37x35” dimensions as the one i was working on yesterday: skoufa. as usual, it started out as something very different, as you’ll see when i post the images of it’s progression over time.

it kind of jumped into focus today with the addition of the figure in white shorts, on the right side of the composition, and the addition of some details to the balcony on the left, especially the bluish tint of the glass railing. so now, gazing at it from 20 feet here in my studio, i’d say it POPS. everything is making more sense visually, like the distribution of reds & blacks. the subtle introduction of a darker grey triangular area on the right deliniates the transition from sidewalk to pavement, and the….for now…faint markings on the sidewalk, identifying a set of squares that make up the sienna & grey surface give the whole scene, as viewed from above, more perspective.

BELOW are a few of the stages this painting has gone through thus far

BELOW are two 2014 paintings from my ano kato series. click on series in the menu above & scroll down to ano kato to view more. you can see the manifestation of my ongoing love affair with views from above with figures in severely cropped architectural settings; in this case the interior of the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.

as well, you can observe the progression in my use of color; from earth tones to brighter, more primary colors. and from painterly, sketch-like brush work to more layered, even tortured surfaces, which change & evolve over time, and take weeks or even months, rather than being completed in one sitting. at times, i miss that immediacy, but you’ve got to know where you’re at in a particular moment in time, on all levels; psychologically, emotionally, physically, and surrender to that reality.

continued work on "skoufa" /  by Philip Tarlow

skoufa, 37x35 inches, oil & collage on linen, as it looked at the end of my painting day today

2:40 PM: today i did quite a bit of work on skoufa,” 37x35” as i gaze at it from afar, it does seem a tad busy; on the other hand, it also seems a lot more interesting, with new elements enering the picture that remove it one more step from being descriptive and closer to being a vibrant composition; an event, composed of human and architectural elements.

it started with the photos i shot about a decade ago from the balcony of skoufa gallery, in athens, where i was having a solo show. i ventured up to the 2nd floor balcony one day to view & photograph a parade passing through. in the process, i caught various onlookers standing about. while i did make a series of paintings of the parade itself, ever since i’ve been drawn to those onllokers, who unwittingly took poses that, for me, were very indicative of the fact that they were athenians.

the ceramic tiles on the ground provided awarm background color, and the geometric division of those tiles gives this painting it’s bones.

the collaged bit on the lower right ahs been taped to the canvas, and i haven’t yet decided whether or not to glue it down.

work on "skoufa," 35x37" /  by Philip Tarlow

2:56 PM: i felt skoufa II was at an impasse & was wishing i had left some white canvas to allow it to breathe, so i went back to skoufa. i painted over the green leaves i had painted in with the orangy color of the tiles, leaving some leaf shapes. i extended the grey floor tiles and introduced a green on the blouse of one of the standing female figures. it’s improved but needs more work.

right now, i’ve got chills, which is one of the predicted side effects of the Synvisc knee injections i got yesterday in Salida. so i think i’ll go lie down. mikela got the same shot, but only in 1 knee, but she’s feeling chills too.

BELOW LEFT: the previous state

skoufa 35x37, oil & collage on linen

a birds eye view of my process /  by Philip Tarlow

1:04 PM: this morning i completely painted over periscope, so that the femaile figure with the flowers beneath her are gone.

it’s now an abstract image, which will change once the oil paint dries a little tonight.

I also did some more work on skoufa II, which i did with the canvas lying on the floor, as you see in this image. i took out what i had added on the right, except for the figure of the woman in the patterned dress, and

6:59 AM: visit this link on my site for a birds eye view of my processs as a painter: https://www.philiptarlow.com/forcarbondalevisitors

12:46 PM: today i completely painted over periscope, so that the image of the woman and the flowers are completely gone. right now it’s an abstract painting.