I got to spend a lot of time painting today. I worked exclusively on Mother and Daughter Jocks. I think I finally got the daughter's face to look good. Chris told me he was glad because she hadn't looked human before. Ouch! I realized that I had her nose up too high so I moved it down. I guess that helped. I also narrowed her face and fixed her teeth. I am amazed by how difficult it is to paint teeth well. They change a person's personality so much. It's no wonder dental records can be used to identify a person. I think teeth are as individual as a fingerprint - and just as difficult to paint!
I probably need another 8 hours on this piece to finish up some details and to make sure everything is just right, then I'll have the pleasure of being able to enjoy it from a distance rather than from 6" away as I work on it!
Showing posts with label Mother and Daughter Jocks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mother and Daughter Jocks. Show all posts
Monday, March 1, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
today
I had an absolutely horrible headache today. I fell asleep last night with a small one and awoke this morning in searing pain. I tried doing exercises for my back, thinking that perhaps some muscles and nerves were interacting in unpleasant ways, but that didn't help. I asked Chris to massage me. Even after a lovely, relaxing, wonderful hour-long massage, I was in so much pain I felt like I was going to vomit. I went downstairs and had some breakfast then came back upstairs and slept for three hours straight.
The rest of the day I spent in bed reading and talking to Chris and resting. I can't remember a time I've done that in the last 10 years - taken a full day to just relax in bed without accomplishing a darn thing. I had to admit that it felt good. This evening I was finally able to get out of bed to get some cereal for dinner. Chris and I played Boggle for a little while - about 20 games. We ended up even at 182 points each! First I was ahead so we played a few more rounds, then he was ahead so we played a few more, then, finally, we ended up with the same score. Neither of us enjoys losing! We are quite competitive with each other!
Friday I was able to get some good work done on Mother and Daughter Jocks. I worked on the Daughter's hands and on her racquetball racquet. Next time I may try "stringing" the racquet. That'll be interesting! I hope it isn't incredibly difficult. I'll definitely use a ruler to get the lines straight. The women's faces are looking almost right, though there's still work to be done with them. It sure is harder to paint bodies with faces and all the rest of the body parts as well! Just torsos are so much easier! But the point is definitely not to make it easier - it's to do it right and have a picture I love!
I've also spent some time lately filling out more applications for shows. I'm hoping to find some universities where I can display Authentic Flesh. There are several more apps I need to finish up before March 1. Interestingly, my youngest son is also trying to get a bunch of applications done by then, but his are for college scholarships - a different part of life's full spectrum!
If you were planning to come to Talk20, you'll want to know that it's been re-scheduled for Tuesday, March 16th at 6 PM at 1708 Gallery in Richmond, VA. There will be 8 artists there talking for 20 seconds about each of 20 slides. I'll be one of the presenters. I hope you can come if you live in the area! I think it'll be very interesting to hear what different artists in the area are up to!
The rest of the day I spent in bed reading and talking to Chris and resting. I can't remember a time I've done that in the last 10 years - taken a full day to just relax in bed without accomplishing a darn thing. I had to admit that it felt good. This evening I was finally able to get out of bed to get some cereal for dinner. Chris and I played Boggle for a little while - about 20 games. We ended up even at 182 points each! First I was ahead so we played a few more rounds, then he was ahead so we played a few more, then, finally, we ended up with the same score. Neither of us enjoys losing! We are quite competitive with each other!
Friday I was able to get some good work done on Mother and Daughter Jocks. I worked on the Daughter's hands and on her racquetball racquet. Next time I may try "stringing" the racquet. That'll be interesting! I hope it isn't incredibly difficult. I'll definitely use a ruler to get the lines straight. The women's faces are looking almost right, though there's still work to be done with them. It sure is harder to paint bodies with faces and all the rest of the body parts as well! Just torsos are so much easier! But the point is definitely not to make it easier - it's to do it right and have a picture I love!
I've also spent some time lately filling out more applications for shows. I'm hoping to find some universities where I can display Authentic Flesh. There are several more apps I need to finish up before March 1. Interestingly, my youngest son is also trying to get a bunch of applications done by then, but his are for college scholarships - a different part of life's full spectrum!
If you were planning to come to Talk20, you'll want to know that it's been re-scheduled for Tuesday, March 16th at 6 PM at 1708 Gallery in Richmond, VA. There will be 8 artists there talking for 20 seconds about each of 20 slides. I'll be one of the presenters. I hope you can come if you live in the area! I think it'll be very interesting to hear what different artists in the area are up to!
Monday, January 25, 2010
This morning I woke up and hurried and scurried so I could get to my massage appointment on time so I could relax properly! Silly. It was a lovely massage, though not quite relaxing. Carol, my massage therapist, is quite fantastic. She was working with my fascia (the parchment like tissues on top of everything but the skin) to try to stretch them to give me some relief from the back strain and hand pain I've been experiencing the last 10 days or so. It's been pretty close to excruciating. NO FUN. I hope it's going to help, but I don't think I helped myself along too well by coming home and heading straight out to the studio.
I've been so excited to work on Mother and Daughter Jocks. I've had way too little time lately, so I was feeling especially anxious to get some work done today. I had mixed up the paint last time I was out here so I'd be ready to go.
I was thinking about which brush to use for maximum coverage, then I realized I actually wanted to use my hands! Having just gotten the massage, I had the feeling of Carol's hands rubbing my body, making it feel better. I wanted to create the mother's body on canvas the same way. I imagined myself rubbing my hands along her body where her body curves. I realize that could sound sexual, but it wasn't at all - anymore than a massage is sexual. It was a lovely image, creating flesh on two dimensions. It felt completely right. I've started work this way before then have moved on to brushes, but I think this time I might just stay with using my hands. I like the rougher surface. I'm not finished with the body - I can see areas that need refinement, but I do like the surface this makes. The daughter has been done so far with a brush, but next time I have time to work, I'll use my hands there too. I think I'll keep the background smooth. I enjoy the contrast. Not sure what I'll do with the racquet and ball.
I painted the mother's face today, too, but it is so far from how it needs to be that I'm not showing that aspect of it. The colors got very messed up and ugly! I'll tackle it next time I have time - which may not be until next Monday. I'm going out of town this coming weekend and am leaving at 2 on Friday so may not have time to work before then.
I'll be going to a Quaker Women's Retreat where I'll give a workshop on Women's Body Image. I'm going to show paintings and photos of women through the ages and lead a discussion on how the image of the ideal beauty has changed so much. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to talk about all this stuff I think about all the time with a group of women who are also interested in the topic.
I was thinking about which brush to use for maximum coverage, then I realized I actually wanted to use my hands! Having just gotten the massage, I had the feeling of Carol's hands rubbing my body, making it feel better. I wanted to create the mother's body on canvas the same way. I imagined myself rubbing my hands along her body where her body curves. I realize that could sound sexual, but it wasn't at all - anymore than a massage is sexual. It was a lovely image, creating flesh on two dimensions. It felt completely right. I've started work this way before then have moved on to brushes, but I think this time I might just stay with using my hands. I like the rougher surface. I'm not finished with the body - I can see areas that need refinement, but I do like the surface this makes. The daughter has been done so far with a brush, but next time I have time to work, I'll use my hands there too. I think I'll keep the background smooth. I enjoy the contrast. Not sure what I'll do with the racquet and ball.
I painted the mother's face today, too, but it is so far from how it needs to be that I'm not showing that aspect of it. The colors got very messed up and ugly! I'll tackle it next time I have time - which may not be until next Monday. I'm going out of town this coming weekend and am leaving at 2 on Friday so may not have time to work before then.
I'll be going to a Quaker Women's Retreat where I'll give a workshop on Women's Body Image. I'm going to show paintings and photos of women through the ages and lead a discussion on how the image of the ideal beauty has changed so much. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to talk about all this stuff I think about all the time with a group of women who are also interested in the topic.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Mother and Daughter Jocks, Day 1
I had a great time in the studio today beginning my newest painting, Mother and Daughter Jocks. It's a very fun piece of two women who seem so comfortable in their nude bodies and with each other. I am delighted by the process of painting it!
Today I painted the background and laid in the shadows. It's funny how it looks - like I have white cutouts of them in front of the background against which they're throwing a shadow. I kinda like it at this stage too! I'm very excited to work on this piece because I like the image so much. I keep imaging it in the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Today I'm finally able to take some time to work in the studio again. The new semester has begun with a bang - that's a good thing! I have lots of students, plus I'm teaching two evening classes - one in SAT, and one in pastels. It's fun to be able to use the studio for both purposes. It's such an awesome space. I love it that it's so versatile.
I've begun working on two different canvases. One of the pictures is of the model for Curves. It has a lovely dynamism to it that attracts me to it. When I photographed her, the focus was on her experience of loving her body, feeling empowered and full of positive feelings about her beautiful self. I think this image evokes that powerfully. I'm looking forward to painting it. Its drawn on the canvas already - I hope to have time to begin painting it soon.
The other canvas is the largest one I've done to date. It's 6'x4' and is of two full figures with faces. A couple of months ago I wrote about the experience of photographing a friend of mine with her sister and her sister's daughter. It was incredibly fun because they were so joyful and fun to be around. I still smile whenever I think about the session! I've since learned that some of the laughter may have come from tension - anxiety about posing naked in front of someone they didn't know, not to mention in front of each other! - but I couldn't tell. They were playful and seemed fully at ease with themselves and each other. I got some fantastic shots I'm excited about painting. This first one is of the mother and daughter posing with athletic equipment! Sounds goofy, right? The daughter has a raquetball raquet which she is holding like a piece of merchandise on Price is Right, showing it to the audience to entice them to buy it. Her mom is holding a volleyball and is standing much more solidly on her two feet. Both are grinning at the camera and are intensely beautiful. I love the difference in their bodies - it gives a sense of what happens with age - and I love the difference in their stances. It is such a completely weird picture, I'm very excited about painting it. I'm working on transferring it to the canvas today. It's a long process because it's so large. I have a feeling that this picture will take a long time to paint because there are so many details - 4 hands, 4 feet, 2 wonderfully smiling faces with teeth (very challenging to paint!), not to mention the strings of the racquetball racquet! What was I thinking??!! Oh yeah - that this is a fabulous picture and I can't wait to paint it!
So here I go...
Check back for progress!
I've begun working on two different canvases. One of the pictures is of the model for Curves. It has a lovely dynamism to it that attracts me to it. When I photographed her, the focus was on her experience of loving her body, feeling empowered and full of positive feelings about her beautiful self. I think this image evokes that powerfully. I'm looking forward to painting it. Its drawn on the canvas already - I hope to have time to begin painting it soon.
The other canvas is the largest one I've done to date. It's 6'x4' and is of two full figures with faces. A couple of months ago I wrote about the experience of photographing a friend of mine with her sister and her sister's daughter. It was incredibly fun because they were so joyful and fun to be around. I still smile whenever I think about the session! I've since learned that some of the laughter may have come from tension - anxiety about posing naked in front of someone they didn't know, not to mention in front of each other! - but I couldn't tell. They were playful and seemed fully at ease with themselves and each other. I got some fantastic shots I'm excited about painting. This first one is of the mother and daughter posing with athletic equipment! Sounds goofy, right? The daughter has a raquetball raquet which she is holding like a piece of merchandise on Price is Right, showing it to the audience to entice them to buy it. Her mom is holding a volleyball and is standing much more solidly on her two feet. Both are grinning at the camera and are intensely beautiful. I love the difference in their bodies - it gives a sense of what happens with age - and I love the difference in their stances. It is such a completely weird picture, I'm very excited about painting it. I'm working on transferring it to the canvas today. It's a long process because it's so large. I have a feeling that this picture will take a long time to paint because there are so many details - 4 hands, 4 feet, 2 wonderfully smiling faces with teeth (very challenging to paint!), not to mention the strings of the racquetball racquet! What was I thinking??!! Oh yeah - that this is a fabulous picture and I can't wait to paint it!
So here I go...
Check back for progress!
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