At first I had intended to make a few more small oil paintings. To begin, I worked out some proportions...
... cut some strips from an old painting and laid them on the canvas. Then I became interested in how the strips looked, the random lines and shapes created by cutting up that old painting. So I coloured blue and purple and laid the cut strips down again, and liked it enough to go with it:
Below, the finished painting. It's a little one, 14x14 inches:
In order to further explore this aesthetic, I plan to destroy a number of older, unfinished, unsalvageable works and re-use the stretcher frames. Below, two paintings slated for destruction:
Above, the coloured canvas which will go onto the stretcher frames. That portion of old painting will be cut up for the strips... I think. We will see what transpires.
Sometimes I spend hours just shifting the cut bits around until they feel right. Getting the base colouring to resonate can also take a long time.
Well you know: time is not for saving. May as well spend time by shifting colours around!
Today I began in the studio about 9am, and I worked until I noticed the shadows lengthening.
Then I took a break and then I worked some more. Although they are only just slightly different from the work that went before, I am quite excited about the possibilities with these new paintings.
Earlier this week I taught an art class in which we made a couple of group collages.
Kids are so much fun, spontaneous and happy to try new creative processes. They are generally not too worried about what things "should look like", and just go with the flow of wherever the process takes them.
Between doing art classes with the schools and a couple of other commitments, I have less time now for the studio. On the flip side, when I do get into my own work I am feeling a bit more free.
4 comments:
I love all this, although I admit I wanted to reach through the computer and snatch up the two "destined for destruction" works. It must be an interesting process - this creation-recreation thing. The kid collage is lovely, isn't it? I drew my perception of a cartoon car for a 3-year-old granddaughter - the typical silly-looking side view silhouette that is seen over and an over. She looked at me with a bit of pity and said, kindly but very firmly, "Oh, no, that's not a car. Let me show you." She drew what I could only describe as an aerial view, complete with a couple of bump-outs to indicate headlights. I love not only the totally unexpected perspective and the fact that she didn't automatically accept my statement that the cartoon I drew was a picture of a car.
Thank you for your compliments, P.D.
That is quite interesting about your granddaughter's drawing of the car, the aerial view. I'm guessing she uses computers or at least has seen lots of aerial images of cars, hey. Isn't that interesting - like when the Eiffel Tower was built, the effect it had on artists' perspectives. Now we see it again, in kids, with technology. Pretty cool.
And: Yup, I love the confidence of young children with their own creations!
:)
V
Love the work Verna, and always love how you write about it. So direct and inspiring every time.
XOXOXOXOXOXO Barbara
Barbara, thank you. It's so nice to know that my work and words are inspiring to other artists.
Your blog also remains one of my delights.
xoxoxox!
:)
V
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