Getting a late start this morning... blueberry pancakes and sausages were calling
(enough said).
I have to admit to a vice of mine. I am an avid, ravenous, even voracious junk-store-aholic. I'm talking 3 or 4 nights a week! I always go at night because there are fewer people, AND that's when they put out the stuff for the next day!!! (but it's not an addiction or anything, I have it under control.)
Anyway,
I was out the other night and found this GREAT BRUSH!!! You can see it here in my hand... I think it's intended use is for applying wall paper paste, but WOW, what great texture it gives oil paint! It doesn't really pick paint up paint from the palette (it's almost bigger than my palette), so I use it directly on the canvas after a good surface of paint has been built up. The effect is like a giant hybridized, fan brush-leaf rake.
As I said, it gives a wonderful surface texture to the paint. In the photo to the left, the grainy texture that runs from the upper right down to the center bottom is its signature mark. Another thing I can mention with this image (while we're here) is how you can work with a monochromatic palette (using basically one color) and achieve another level of interest in your work. In this example, you can see some cross-grain brush work, and drips of runny paint. I would encourage you to try lots of different implements while painting. At one point, when I lived in Sante Fe, I was polishing the surface of my paintings with antique paperweights; those magnifying, bubble-looking glass things. I have quite a collection now of flat and round ones, they are great to coat in paint or ink and draw with too! Painting ain't just for brushes anymore!
Yesterday I started to talk about influences and what will become of this painting, what direction it might take. I came to the conclusion that I (my persona) am an amalgam of 'sorts', all sorts; meaning that I have many interests in many areas. Also, I stated (on day three of this project) that one of my pursuits with this painting was to let the canvas guide me in what it would become. So, I was thinking why not let this painting be an affirmation of my 'sorts'? Too trite? Well it's an idea and my coffee cup is empty so I'll run with it for now...
OK! Coffee cup full, check! Eudie, outside break, check! Now back to work.
I was thinking about what exactly inspired the title I chose for this painting, Murder Of Crows. First of all I have always wondered how/who ever decided to name a group of crows a murder; second the image of these three old guys sitting in a cluster, is interesting to me. (I hope this isn't too much of a stretch) The black hats, the idea of crows, and the three old men just all kind of collided in my brain and became a Murder Of Crows.
So this is where I stand to date. You can see the effect of the new brush in the dark gray area, upper right, and the green rusty upper left corner. It softens and blends the paint quickly, leaving a glow-like appearance. If you stand back and look at the canvas that effect is something different. All the other brush work looks choppy and uneven; whereas those two corners seem to settle, fall back into the space. NOTE: One thing to keep in mind is that dark/cool colors tend to recede and bright/hot colors tend to come forward. That's the push pull effect Hans Hoffman worked with and taught. Cezanne worked warm cool contrasts to achieve his pulsating compositions. This is a technique (I'd hate to use the word trick) to develop depth and interest in your painting.
A view of the full canvas shows drawn in shapes beginning to appear; strong colors, and seeming discordant lines. This may seem a strange thing to say but in affect I'm looking into the surface for clues to shapes and ideas, and defining what it is I see. There are several ways to define shapes as you work the surface. 
Of course you can simply slap paint around (like I've been doing) and see what happens, one problem you can face in doing this is your paint may become muddy. (Not that there is anything wrong with mud if that is a look you are going for. Degas did a wonderful series of racehorse paintings using the sludge from his turp pot.) Other ways to draw into the paint are using oil sticks, or the tip of a palette knife, or (as in the example to the left) drawing with a pencil .
Of course you can simply slap paint around (like I've been doing) and see what happens, one problem you can face in doing this is your paint may become muddy. (Not that there is anything wrong with mud if that is a look you are going for. Degas did a wonderful series of racehorse paintings using the sludge from his turp pot.) Other ways to draw into the paint are using oil sticks, or the tip of a palette knife, or (as in the example to the left) drawing with a pencil .What I've tried to do today working on the canvas is to emphasize some elements that stand out while keeping in mind what I really enjoy about painting. I like brush work and texture, and I like photo realism; contradicting styles one might say, but something to keep in mind. What if physical surface texture was allied with a photo-realistic, faux-texture?
That may be an interesting challenge. What do you think?
Paint well...
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