WAITING

42x14"
oil on canvas
NFS

This was sort of a test piece. I've cropped the canvas here as it got weird in places. I did this about eight to ten years ago, I think. Water mixable oils on a ragged home-stretched canvas. I saw this photo in one of those British glossy magazines that I used to be addicted to. Ok, so I still sort of am, but I'm getting help.

Anyway the blue skies, bright clothing, white clouds and green trees and grass against black skin caught my eye and I thought it would be fun to paint. And it was. Looking at it now I like the spontaneous treatment of shadow and light on the clothing but cringe at the flat green and blue of the trees and sky. Also, the line continued from edge to edge and the lens created a fishbowl effect on both sides—which explains the aforementioned weirdness.

At the time it was completely beyond my comprehension that I could use the photo as a base and create my own vision, sort of like a really good stock that gives birth to legendary chicken soup. Obviously the painting wouldn't have been legendary, but it would have been infinitely more interesting and made more sense if the folks on either end weren't leaning in towards themselves, but it was fun and now might possibly lead to other ideas, thanks to the dailies. Just a note here: I never offer paintings for sale that have been created from photographs that I haven't taken.

Still going on my dailies. If not tomorrow's post, then Friday's. I'm off to work some more before himself arrives home.