January 27, 2010

Beginning a New Painting: Triangle and Curves



The painting I've just begun, based on the gouache study above, is a bit larger than others I've done recently, at 14 x 22 inches. It also is more spacially complex; rather than an essentially flat vertical planar image, it moves in curves toward the picture plane, with a deep canyon between, and moves back in space along a flat surface broken by a green triangle. I'm of two minds about this complexity: I do like the composition, with the round and the flat, the red and its complement green, the hard metal and flexible tarp, the two bolts as shiny "eyes"; but I also feel myself yearning towards greater simplicity, as in my ruglets. I'll enjoy working on this painting, but will be thinking a great deal about where I am going.


3 comments:

  1. that pink, that green, that red - these three have so many art historical resonances it's delicious. aimee phillips, guston, matisse to name off the top of my head. I just took a scroll through your art history posts via the label, what a trove of references you're put together!

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  2. Love the initial sketch, so free, but like where you are taking it also. Wonderful compliment of colors.

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  3. thanks for the nice words on this beginning, always welcome and helpful for cheering me on to the hard work ahead.

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