February 24, 2010

Paintings, Larger and Smaller



Here's a photograph of my worktable, showing two miniatures and Triangle and Curves, which is 14 x 22 inches, so you can get a sense of scale of the small paintings. I've begun a second miniature, very different from Red Teeth in internal scale, in subject, and in its light. I found it convenient to work on the small piece of parchment by taping it flat onto a watercolor pad, which is 9 x 12 inches. The parchment absorbs water and becomes wavy while I'm working on it, like paper would, so it's helpful to have it taped around the edges. You can also see my reading glasses, which are necessary for me now in close work. Gone are the days when I could do small, detailed work without glasses.

6 comments:

  1. In the photograph, your Triangle and Curves painting is positively three dimentional, like a trompe l'oeil. Thanks for the odd hints that you drop so casually - this one about taping the edges is so obvious once you point it out!

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  2. So glad you put these together to show the difference in scale. That is the problem with the computer — size becomes relative so easily. Nice to be able to see the side by side comparison. I was doing some hand sewing recently and had my glasses (trifocals) on and off. It concerns me that the projects I want to do are so much more difficult with aging eyes. At least my hands and joints still seem good!

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  3. A., yes, it's fun the way the curves in Triangle and Curves look so illusionistic; maybe it's the angle of the leaning painting that enhances the effect.

    and Linda, I am often frustrated with the inability of the computer image to give a sense of its actual size, but I used to be frustrated with slides in the same way: when I gave a talk on my work, slides of large paintings with lots of complexity often made the paintings seem smaller than simpler images which were in fact smaller.

    my hand joints can get a bit creaky but not too bad so far.....

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  4. Love your new babies!!

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  5. fantastic little showing Altoon, Your work on the right is positively riveting! Delightful.
    S

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  6. thanks A. and Sophie for the compliments, always appreciated.

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