what
interests me
I
don't always have something to say, nor am I always inspired.
Painting is enough of a struggle without the added burden
of making a statement. Thus, I let the subject speak to me,
and I simply serve as the editor and interpreter for my audience.
The subject matter is usually more profound and interesting
than I am. It is this realization that freed me from 20 years
of a fear of painting.
In
this piece, I simply wanted to depict the sensuous way in
which the single source light seems to caress and reveal the
mode's form while suggesting a strong sense of weight, movement
and tension.
my
design strategy
Although
the pose appears passive at first glance, the image projects
strong dynamics of movement and mood. The left arm helps draw
the viewer's eye up into he body. Her twisting body then presents
a series of planes in which each major part faces a different
direction, creating a spiral that turns back on itself.
my
working process
•
I began with a detailed carbon pencil drawing, lightly applied
at first but gradually heavier as I became more confident
of the position of the elements, the direction of important
angles and the shape of the shadows.
•
Using hard pastels, I applied the darkest darks, then the
secondary darks, then the lights (not highlights). The toned
paper served as a place holder for the mid-tones. This quickly
established the overall range of values.
•
Over this foundation, I continued to apply the pastel lightly
and in layers, using variations in pressure. I did not blend
so that I could maintain the painterly quality of pastel.
I allowed a good deal of the underlying paper to show through
to unify the image.
•As
the painting drew to completion, I applied more of my soft
pastels, especially the lights and more intense colors, with
decisive strokes, which tend to give the appearance of spontaneity,
even if it took hours to reach this point. At this stage,
I concentrated on refining my focal areas, values and edges
through contrast.
•
This painting was done in about two to three hours from life.
No fixative was used on the finished pastel. |
