Monday, November 14, 2011

November 14, 2011 Still Life #26


Still Life #26 22"x22" gouache on w/c paper

In this piece I am working with red and green. Dark mid-tones to light mid-tones. I deconstruct the original still life drawing, finding the abstract images in the drawing, and then reconstruct creating new images. The original still lifes were based on place. The place being New Mexico, where I live and work. I set up a still life including pottery made in Mexico and weavings from Mexico, and include fruits, vegetables and flowers grown locally. The new images seem to speak in a more universal way. In all realism there is abstraction, and in abstraction is realism. As I study the work I begin to see animals, and characters, removed from the original drawings.

These new compositions suggest all over pattern, and yet there are no repeats in the images. It is a different way to create pattern than I have done before.



This is an example of a still life set up I might create in the studio. Then I carefully draw from it.

Friday, November 4, 2011

November 4, 2011 Still Life #20


Still Life #20 30"x30" gouache on paper

This is the latest composition, in the Still Life Series. I am happy with the exploration of the still life, so far. My goal was to create distinctive paintings based on still life. Yesterday, I set a goal for myself to do ten larger works. The art supply store in town has closed,( after all there is no need for art supply in Taos, New Mexico.) So I placed the order and it will arrive sometime next week. I am always excited to see what I will do.

The scale of a work is important. It has to be big enough to hold it's own, to state it's presence. I hope the new works will be what I want.

Not Just A Cup

  Not Just a Cup       Southern born Not a tea drinker Always coffee For me   Although I often find  Bitter taste Of the dark brew A bit muc...