I didn’t work on a new image this week. I worked on two previous ones – even one from last week. There have been 2 new versions since last weeks posting. I have never, well maybe twice, in all my years of painting portraits, where I didn’t make substantial changes to the portrait painting after I posted it. There is a reason for this. Throughout the painting process, I regularly take quick breaks, leaving my studio even if only for 2 minutes, to return for a fresh look.
If one works on any area of a painting for a long time, you stop seeing it “truthfully”, I will call it.You start to see color out of context and color can only be appropriately viewed in the context in which it exist. It is not absolute. We start to judge lights, mid tones and shadow tones inappropriately. Shadows start to be perceived lighter and lighter tones come to be perceived darker. taking a break, allowing eyes to readjust is essential. Sometimes I flip the painting, the reference or both upside down. You’d be amazed what a positive difference this makes in seeing the shapes we paint accurately. When I walk back in my studio. I am sometimes shocked at what I see. I make substantial adjustments through the hours of work. A point comes when I think I have made all required changes and corrections. Normally, that occurs before I post. And so I post. Usually, that night or the following day I take a look at the image again. I never fail to be oh so disappointed. I see so much that is still so “wrong” and unacceptable. Where was this “wrong” the previous time I looked but I couldn’t see it – didn’t see it. One can go through this again and again. I often do. Below was my first version – the first of my post.
The saving grace is that many wise master painters, past and present say that it is more important to paint many paintings in a given period of time than to work on one painting during the same time period attempting to get it” “perfect”. Of course, if you are doing client work – best aim for the perfection. Through the process of these three versions of this painting, I progressed from more sketchy to more finished and focused on more accurately shaping the light. The lighting for the reference was one directional window light which flowed across the face from left to right. I was recently reminded that light doesn’t skip over an eyebrow or a beard or a nose or lips, it flows seamlessly across every feature. So by version 3, I attempted to carefully reflect the flow of light accurately which is primarily the difference between 3 painting versions. Also in the image immediately above, the left cheek bone and the shape of the nose is just wrong. For that reason, I replaced the first version within a couple of hours of posting it. Not many people saw it.
Below: I also repainted this young lady with curls. You may remember the curls. That in itself was not the problem – overall the painting just was not making me happy. After many months – I I put it back on my easel.
Hair, background, face, everything was re-painted. Below is a more recent version.
I enjoy the above version of the painting much more. I think I would prefer just a little more detail or separation on the left side of her hair/background. Time will tell. These re paintings were my work this week. the next painting will be a new one and I’m. sure will take a couple weeks. It’s more complicated than usual.
Garden News: I wanted to find Swiss Chard seedlings this past spring but I couldn’t – not sure why. Finally I started from seed. I really like “Rainbow Chard”. It’s so versatile. Chard has a very long season, plants will probably develop. I’m also growing “Love Lies Bleeding”, not to eat but just for the showy vegetation/flowers it produces. I haven’t had that plant for such a long time. Again, I’m late, so we’ll see. My compost pile has grown larger and otherwise it is doing what compost piles do and there are many many worms!
The Resistance: There is a word in the dictionary I was unaware of. It’s very appropriate.The word is TRUMPERY. The definition is – It looks good, it’s showy but it’s worthless. To use this word in a sentence one might say …The legislation might be good for some but for others it’s TRUMPERY. This country has reached it’s lowest since slavery. Sad! RESIST!! Winifred
