Painting Pablo....

As the blog suggests, the idea is that we are together in my studio. So I thought today, that I'd let you see where I start with a commission and where I'm going until I abandon a current project ("Art is never completed, it is merely abandoned").

I finished this commission approx. two weeks ago. And I had the great fortune to actually meet the subject before I started on the project. His breed is a "Chin", and he is only about 3 pounds. He is minuscule in the eyes of his wolf ancestors. But his personality is on par with any Mongolian Emperor of old. We are his devoted subjects and Pablo knows it. He also has a very interesting solid Zen-like presence in person. His little personality radiates from his diminutive form, which I would never have understood without seeing him.

So we intersect his coloring (see the blog post previously on the color black), and the play of light and contrasts (see the blog post on light, contrast and hue), and we are at "Radiance".

And yes, even tho he is an emperor, he does have those disheveled ear hairs... even rulers get bed-head.

Photo realism is NOT my goal. As Picasso once pointed out, we have photography, there is no reason to try to repeat it. Art is more than photography. I am trying to capture the essence of my subject and their personality with one image. And I fully exploit light, shade and color to achieve those ends.

__________________

You should keep on painting no matter how difficult it is, because this is all part of experience, and the more experience you have, the better it is.. unless it kills you, and then you know you have gone too far.--Alice Neel

Contrasts in Seasons, Contrasts in Colors....

I was approached recently by the Cat Hospital of Portland to do a show in their clinic, which I've been dilegently working on since the invitation. Right now, I've started a quartet based on the seasons and just completed "Spring: A Stranger in the Garden".

I am now working on what is tentively called, "Winter: The Abominable Snow Bubba", but will most likely be titled something slightly more dignified. (see photo study). The Background is evolving into an amazing teal and navy colored forest that really makes Bubba's buff colored fur "POP".

Pam Johnson, one of my most cherished college art instructors took us outside one bright day and had us place a turquoise piece of paper on fucsia paper, and had us stare at it for quite a long time, and then proceeded to explain to us how we would never need to do drugs, because as artists, we looked at the world thru unique eyes. And how one could stand in the shower at certian times of day and get high off the refracted light shining through the water droplets. Now, I'm not so sure that I'd take any of my artistic observational skills quite that far; however, I did learn the power of contrasting colors and how to manipulate lights and darks, brights and subtle shadings with color contrast and the manipulation of shades and hues.

I learned many things about color and value, perspective and how to truly see from Ms. Johnson.

So when you are going through your day, look at the shadows of every day objects and REALLY see what color the shadow is.

Be inspired