This one is finally done. I left it in a good place yesterday, having a good idea of how to close it out. I put the English Beat’s “Save it for Later“ on repeat and got lost for two hours. I came out of the stupor with this and am super stoked about the result
The progression of a piece
This painting has been a thorn in my side for the past month. Unsure of where it wants to go, it has undergone various different stages.
Promising start. Watercolor blocked in by acrylic
Still holding together, acrylic slowly enveloping the watercolor
The introduction of oil. No turning back now, unfortunately
Oil has hooded our characters. Thought this was a good idea at the time
Current stage. Getting away from the hoods. Instead I opted for a blizzard of paint.
I have two more sessions with this piece before I consider it DOA.
Fresh Starts
This piece came out frustration of the original painting underneath. It was so ugly I quickly had to cover it up. One of the luxuries of experience is to not beat a dead horse or knowing when to move on. When I was a younger artist I’d try to revive many a painting, when the proper move was to start a new.
I’m not sure where this one is going, but it feels good to apply confident strokes and letting the piece dictate where it wants to go.
Current works under construction
Closing out a painting is the hardest part of painting. Which is where I stand with these pieces.
One solution is to put them away for a few weeks and come back to them when they’re less precious.
But for the rest of the week I’ll poke and prod them.
New series- Star birth inspired
I started the first piece below with only colors and style in mind. As it progressed it started to remind me of the cosmos, so I pushed it in that direction.
A Star is Born I
Acrylic on canvas 60” x 40”
SAS instiute collection
Clouds of hydrogen tower above the surface of a molecular cloud on the edge of the Carina nebula. (NASA)
A Star is Born II
Acrylic on canvas 60” x 40”
SAS instiute collection
Hubble Space Telescope captured an iridescent tapestry of star birth in a neighboring galaxy. (NASA)