Eclipse__Abstract Expressionism. SOLD

Click picture to enlarge. Click title for more views and information.
Size: 40 x 60 x 1.5
Medium: Oils on Canvas


As the song says, "the waiting is the hardest part". What a mystery abstract painting has become to me. It asks me to be spontaneous, to listen, to respond, to pay attention, to evaluate the unexpected, to make decisions, to be unafraid, to ponder, to be lead and to wait ...and wait...and wait...and wait.

Then at a certain moment the painting reveals itself to me and surprises me with the wonder of its own true soul, that which it was before I began and fills me with an awesome and indescribable joy.

I added the keywords "abstract Expressionism" next to the title because I read that it may help Google find the image.

trying to get a good photo of this painting was frustrating and I spent most of the day at it, until my camera broke and will need to be sent back to Canon AGAIN. If it requires replacement AGAIN, I think I will switch to Kodak.

Oh yes, and this painting used to be Loft #9.

Update - And Elder Street Gallery Call to Artists

No painting to post today. Monday I decided to paint over Loft #9. I am letting the painting set the pace, which is much too slow for me! As someone once said to me: "I want patience and I want it now!" That sounds like something I would say.

It requires restraint on my part not to jump ahead of the painting and impose something on it. The alternative is I wait to hear its side of the conversation. Right now it seems to have paused to consider what it will say next. I am politely waiting. Maybe by next week I will have something to post.

Meanwhile I have also been working on a miniscape for the Call to Artists from the Elder Street Gallery, Houston. The painting may be no larger than 5" x 5". Strictly speaking, a miniature is defined as having:

"* A high standard of draughtsmanship and composition.
* Mastery of miniature technique in chosen media and palette.
* No subject larger than life, portrait head no larger than 2" (5cm). In a top quality miniature every single detail is itself miniaturised, leading the eye down and down, so that with high magnification you may see the immaculate fineness of the brush strokes."

I researched the term "miniatures" in paintings. They are usually delicate, intricate and detailed pieces one might expect to see on a large scale. But they are tiny. So before starting this project I contacted the gallery to make sure folk art abstracts would even qualify and sent in a sample of my miniscapes. They said it seemed like a good idea.

Drops of LIght SOLD

Click image to enlarge. Click title for more views and information.
Size: 30 x 40 x 1.5
Medium: Oils
Painting Style: Abstract Expressionism

Painting is teaching me patience. Although I was eager to paint non-stop this week, I waited on the painting. Once I understood the direction, it took on a momentum and pulled me along. If I felt uncertain as to the next step I waited. Do I like waiting? No. I would rather keep painting. But it seems to be necessary in order to stay in touch with the painting. It becomes a sort of conversation between the canvas, the paint and the painter. I am gradually learning how important it is not to dominate that conversation. The process and outcome are quite unlike that of the piece that lies beneath it from two weeks ago, which I declined to post and into which I had pushed ahead because I wanted to paint. I was doing all the "talking" and the result was there was no conversation and it showed

Loft #9 - No longer available

Click painting to enlarge, click title for more views and information.
Size: 40" x 60" x 1.5"
Medium: Oils on Canvas.


The second 40 x 60 abstract is finally finished. In order to redeem it, it had to become another "Loft", the ninth in the series now! In part I think the trouble I have had with these last two pieces is that I have been distracted with the more administrative tasks of tax returns and the process of refinancing two properties. I am still working on the other painting I began last week by painting over the piece I didn't post. I am still not happy with it.

Update

Well, I did paint something for this week but I don't like it enough to post it. Nor is the piece I began next turning out very well. It is another 40 x 60. I found a lighter-weight version of this size, which solved one of the problems. It didn't solve the problems surrounding the larger dimensions though. So it didn't fit into my car, which of course I knew in advance. So it hung partly out of my trunk as I slowly made my way home along back-roads from Dick Blick Art.

Unfortunately, my excitement over painting another giant piece waned as the piece progressed. And once again I find myself in the unsettling place in the painting process of wondering whether the piece will be redeemable. I confess that I jumped ahead of the painting and imposed an idea onto it rather than waiting for the idea to emerge out of the first layer of paint, which usually works best for me with abstracts. The result is similar to a client's imposing ideas on the painting. It took until now for me to make that connection. To do it right involves waiting. I need to get much better at that.

Loft #8 SOLD

Click image to enlarge. Click title for more information.
Size: 30 x 40 x 1.5
Medium: Oils


Tuesday I was again treated to a personal art collection. This time the art was that of an artist and architect-friend. After first visiting his charming architecture space in downtown La Jolla, we drove up the hill to his studio. From there a north window takes in La Jolla Shores and the coastline running northwest toward Los Angeles.

Inside were large, wall-to-wall canvases of work I had previously seen only on his website. Seeing paintings in person is a rather different experience. Colors are more true and the painting's energy intensifies. Viewing art in a relaxed and casual setting, rather than in a public gallery one can also appreciate the paintings much more.

So it was, that in a comfortable chair, in a lovely setting, with tea and cheese and crackers and fruit I viewed these paintings up close and in person and enjoyed the feast. You can see his paintings and architecture
here.

Borrego SOLD

Click image to enlarge. Click title for more information.
Oils on Canvas
40 x 60 x 1.5


At last. The giant abstract commission is finally finished. My client came to see it Monday and approved! Although the painting was still not dry enough for him to take home, and because he will need to hire a big-rig to move it (just kidding), he had to leave it with me for a bit longer. Nevertheless, being the thoughtful and considerate person he is, he left a payment of our agreed upon price and added a bonus to it. He felt bad that the painting had been so challenging.

In truth, although it was challenging and a bit stressful I am so happy to have been offered the opportunity and that I decided to accept it after all. I would like to be more open to accepting abstract commissions. It's a matter of finding the right approach. Perhaps I could accept abstract commissions as long as they are not customized. In other words, the client could choose the size but not the colors or style of the piece. As one artist-friend put it, in a commission piece, the client tends to want to "participate". And this seems to be a recipe for disaster with an abstract.

Update

Still working on the giant commission painting. What a challenge. Although I loved the original, the customer felt it was too subtle and light. I made some new sketches of it that involved darkening the original composition by painting darker colors over the existing piece. We finally agreed on one. But although it worked well as a sketch, it just did not work at all on the canvas.

One night I painted over it with a beautiful gray I mixed. This was to be the new background color. But in the morning light the beautiful gray color looked mauve. So I let it dry a for a few days and painted over it again and found in it a new composition. Now it's a completely different painting and nothing at all like what the customer asked for. But at this point my goal is to be able to rescue it all as a painting.

In the end I had to separate myself from everything the customer said he liked and wanted and let the painting develop without imposing a plan on it. I like the way it is turning out. That doesn't mean he will. We'll see...

Update and New Bronze Wall

Still working on the 40 x 60 commission piece. Since I therefore don't have a new painting to post I thought I would take the opportunity to show you something else I am very excited about and that is my new bronze, accent wall.

My upstairs neighbor and friend Mark of Never Settle Designs painted this dining room accent wall for me. It is quite a process involving many layers and colors to achieve the final, stunning result. Getting a truly representative photo of it has been another story. But I can tell you it is so elegant it makes me dream of bringing the entire condo up to its level. Check out his website to see a sampling of wall treatments available.
www.neversettlesettledesigns.com

Updates

The large pre-stretched canvas for my commission piece arrived Monday by special delivery via my client Jim and a very generous friend. Together they built the 40" x 60" x 1.5" canvas, which was too large for Jim's car. Therefore his friend not only was needed to help build the canvas, but was then pressed into service as a driver for it.

For the next few days I stared at it. It isn't unusual for me to procrastinate beginning a new painting. A blank canvas is powerful, with all its potential for success and failure. Finally yesterday (after being treated to a relaxing lunch on the water at Peohe's in Coronado by my friend Ron and after breathing the invigorating sea air) I jumped in and began laying down background colors and fell in love with working on my large canvas. Never mind that it occupies most of my tiny studio and I can barely get around it, I am having fun.

Lastly, on the 12th and 15th I queried by email some contemporary interior design studios regarding submitting art to them for their projects. One of them is coming this weekend to view several of interest. This would be an exciting avenue for selling and displaying art. I hope it works out. You will be the first to know!