Black Lozenges, egg tempera on calfskin parchment, 7 x 5 1/2 in.
I am so happy that I still love painting. Days went by with me busy with other projects––textiles, prints, photography, blogging, processing garden produce––and not sitting at my work table, brush in hand. Sometimes I wonder if all these activities, which give me tremendous pleasure, would supersede my first art love, painting. But then I began to work on this new painting, and felt again the calm satisfaction of putting paint on a surface, layering paint bit by bit until I had convincing form and light. It takes a quiet concentration of almost meditative quality that my other pursuits can't match. As much as I love abstraction, there is magic for me in making an illusion on a two dimensional surface.
I'd just written a blog post on translucence, which you can read here, so I had it on my mind. Instead of using black paint for the dark shapes, I decided to paint thin layers of color, which would create a richer and deeper black. I began with a Cadmium red purple, then added Phthalo green, and then Ultramarine blue. I sometimes went back and forth with the colors until I had the black I wanted.
I'd like to also speak to my description of these shapes, which I call "lozenges" because they remind me of pill forms. But according to Wikipedia, lozenges are elongated diamond shapes. I tried looking up "oval with straight sides" and came up with only "stadium shape" or "racetrack shape". It boggles my mind that there's not mathematical term for this shape, since it is fairly widespread. If anyone has the answer to this, please let me know.
I like the repeated curved forms in this image, side to side, up and down. They unite what might otherwise be a divided composition.
Wonderful work Altoon.
ReplyDeleteAlways a pleasure to see your beautiful art works!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Marc and Scott, for your supportive comments.
ReplyDeleteAmazing painting Altoon.
ReplyDeleteThe "rounded rectangle" has become ubiquitous in web design--usually as a chunk of color containing a short announcement or a menu.
ReplyDeleteI would classify your "lozenges" as "severely rounded rectangles". In other words, rectangles with the corners rounded to such a severe degree that their arcs meet.
Thanks, Daniel.
ReplyDeleteClair, rounded rectangle has a nice ring to it; thanks.
I love this painting. The shallow depth is so clear and can really be felt. My favorite!
ReplyDeleteAwesome painting! I had to look twice, proceed to scroll down before realizing that this was a painting. True it is your style- albeit, the best for it all seemed to work. Perhaps your keeping busy "doing" all the other things that you enjoy and are good at, then returning to your first love/passion it came together so perfectly.
ReplyDeleteCoughdrop shape (we all think of more recent usages of the word 'lozenge'). But yes, rounded rectangle is good. And this painting is just the thing. Love the shadows in yellow recesses.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Amy, Sue, and Susan. I appreciate the comments.
ReplyDeleteI love this painting and I'm surprised to realize I hadn't commented when you posted this, because on that same day Chuck had told me that his high school teacher called those "racetrack" shapes (I'd referred to one as an oval). I also find it strange that there isn't a name specifically for this shape, which is so common in nature and in architecture! At any rate, it is a wonderfully subtle painting.
ReplyDeleteRavenna, racetrack or stadium are names used for this shape, but I don't like either of them. I'm glad you like the painting.
DeleteThis is a particularly lovely painting Altoon! I don't recall other images of yours where there is such deep, layered space. I have so many sensory reactions to this painting--imagining the experience of running my hand against the metal grill, squinting in the harsh light. I think it may be one of my favorites--on an increasingly long list. (And the word lozenge is just fine by me).
ReplyDeleteTamar, I've done other paintings with layered sapce, though of course nothing quite like this since I don't like to repeat myself. I'm so glad you like it.
Deletelove the 'space' jumps, Altoon & then the switching back to the affirmation of the plane. Great.
ReplyDeletePS usually think of 'Ben Hur' when I see the rounded rectangle so I propose 'colosseum' for the shape - seems suitably odd like rhomboid or hexagon and with a classical '-um' ending it could be considered respectable.
Thanks, Tony.
DeleteColosseum goes along with stadium and racetrack as words used for that shape. I guess the reason I don't like them is that they so strongly bring forth images of gigantic spaces, which doesn't work for a small thing, while lozenge does.