I have a daughter named Lulu. We played Horsey in my studio this afternoon. After she ran me into the ground we sat down together. She asked me if I would paint a picture of her. So I grabbed a painting from my "to be painted over" cart. She asked me why I didn't start on a clean canvas. I told her it would be more interesting to interact with what was already on the canvas.
Here is what it looks like now. In the actual painting you can see the lines of her dress and arms. I think the "noise" that is coming through from underneath reflects more "truth" in our lives than a more finished and realistic painting would. Let me know what you think.
I love the sketchy bits and the way the rendered form interacts with the 'old' paint. I lack the gene needed to really enjoy abstract work... I'm very figure fixated (in more ways than one?) It's nice to see you play with a figurative piece this way.
ReplyDeleteDear Siolo,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking a few minutes to respond. You are, in fact, the first person to respond in writing to my blog.
Yes, that interaction is even more apparent when you see the actual painting. You can sense the texture and the pedimentti (high points of dried underpainting).
I think the paintings that I do that are like this are best when they give one that feeling that the figure has just barely....for perhaps just this one magical moment....come into being. In another moment or in just another brush stroke they will either turn to stone or just fall apart.
I must confess that while painting her I felt the urge to want to "lock in" her image and that beautiful soulfullness about her that is so precious to me. I suppose that has been a big part of portraiture since it began thousands of years ago.