A good friend of mine was struggling with a painting. Her professor asked her what her favorite part of the painting was. She Immediately told him she liked the head. “Well, I think you should cut of the head and see what happens.” She did so and a body of beautiful and powerful work was born.
Over the last six months I’ve been exclusively painting men. During this time I have gotten much more proficient with my process. But the paintings are flirting dangerously with the academic and purely technical. I’ve been feeling stuck. So I have decided to go back to painting women. Here are a couple of pieces I finished last week. The both measure 36″ x 30.”
I made the aqua one first. Something bugged me. I wasn’t sure what it was. Composition? Color? I decided to work on another and started the pink one below. I was halfway through the process and getting ready to add the head when it struck me how interesting it looked in it’s unfinished state. So I decided to stop and hung it on my wall.
I’m finding this picture more interesting than the blue one. I don’t know if it’s “good.” But I’m having a hard time keeping my eyes off it. A painting that is inviting and mysterious is what I hope to achieve. I’m not necessarily interested in making a “good” painting. I wish to make one that stumps and quiets the mind so an awareness of a deeper feeling and emotion within becomes apparent.
