Staring at the big (30" x 30"), white canvas is often the most stressful part of my process. How do I start? Where do I start? That very first mark is so important to me that I find myself in a battle against my fears and insecurities. A multitude of voices clamour for dominance in … Continue reading A Crowd of Me – One
Tourism Under The Windowed Wall – I found myself in this one
Previous Post on this: Tourist Under The Windowed Wall – Opening another feeling I'm still paying with style and ideas from David Park's work. I've decided to walk out of my comfort zone step-by-step and close off the inspiration images while painting. It helps me see the composition differently when I let it get coloured … Continue reading Tourism Under The Windowed Wall – I found myself in this one
Portrait Project – Inspired by David Park #4 – A touch here, a dab there, and viola; it’s Me!
Can I blame the shift to more current musical choices this morning for the change in colours? Maybe. Can I assume that the sip of bourbon, a taste I've only really acquired over the last few years and didn't have in the 1980s to the change? Maybe. Can I say that being mindful of where … Continue reading Portrait Project – Inspired by David Park #4 – A touch here, a dab there, and viola; it’s Me!
Portrait Project – Inspired by David Park #4 – How can I put myself in this painting?
At first I thought I could only add my glasses to make this image my self-portrait, then I realized what was bubbling up from my unconscious mind... I have been waxing nostalgic this past week with listening to music from the 1980s and watching documentaries about Street artists who started in that decade and how … Continue reading Portrait Project – Inspired by David Park #4 – How can I put myself in this painting?
Self-Portrait Project – Loosely Inspired by Frank Auerbach “SOLD”
The challenge given was to create a self-portrait in the style of a specific artist, in this case Frank Auerbach, or to recreate a portrait done by the artist in my own style. I think I sort of got it half way between the two options. Starting with a heavily textured canvas, recycled for this … Continue reading Self-Portrait Project – Loosely Inspired by Frank Auerbach “SOLD”
Self-portrait project Seventeen (Part d) – Me, By Contrast
I needed to step away from the other ways of painting so far and I felt I hadn't yet explored dabbing the paint onto the canvas, nor had I dived into a monochrome portrait. The former, because I didn't want to destroy my brushes, which is what tends to happen when one grinds the bristles … Continue reading Self-portrait project Seventeen (Part d) – Me, By Contrast
Self-portrait Project Seventeen (Part c) – Getting The Eyes Just Right
I was still dabbing on the paint here. You can see the impact of the stiff bristles on the canvas. I used mostly a matte Titanium white to pull up the emphasis on the features I wanted to... well, emphasize. At this point, I can feel how the matte paint is standing out over the … Continue reading Self-portrait Project Seventeen (Part c) – Getting The Eyes Just Right
Self-portrait Project Seventeen (Part b) – Laying Down Some Contrasts
First, the Part a would look like a plain black canvas, so I'm sharing a photo. Suffice it to say that I painted white gesso over the old painting then used a palette knife to load on some shiny Carbon Black. When that was dry, I first painted down the shape off the face by … Continue reading Self-portrait Project Seventeen (Part b) – Laying Down Some Contrasts
Self-portrait Project – Starting Something(s) New from this Old Model
As mentioned in recent posts, I've tired of the full frontal portrait and want to see what I can do with this profile. I feel there will be more possibility to observe the details of my own face this way. I've been successful in the past using black and white photos to work from, so … Continue reading Self-portrait Project – Starting Something(s) New from this Old Model
Self-portrait Project Sixteen (Part d) – My Memory Of Me Is Clearly Askew
I think I'm done with this one... for now. I'm not sure what else to do, because the more I add, the further away from m myself it feels. Just to remind you, I was inspired by the memory of catching a glimpse of myself passing in a mirror. I was slouching and had a … Continue reading Self-portrait Project Sixteen (Part d) – My Memory Of Me Is Clearly Askew
The New Renaissance Mindset 