Abstract Distraction

I am currently working on a commission portrait of an elderly couple.  This type of painting can become rather tense at times, at least for me.  I am so particular.  I paint and I think about the people I am painting... often I say a little prayer for them.  Somehow this makes me feel more in touch with who they are and not just what they look like physically.  But there are times when I just have to take a break from the commission and work on something totally unrelated.  Sometimes I work on another painting (I always have several at different stages somewhere in this room!... don't you?) sometimes I draw, sometimes I do exercises (NOT the kind where you perspire!!) to improve some aspect of my painting, and yes, often I play Angry Birds.  Today I decided to paint a small abstract since that is so far removed from what I normally do.  Several days ago I had taken a view finder and gone through a magazine looking for abstract ideas that I might want to paint.  I drew around the rectangular shape of the viewfinder and cut out the shapes.

I picked one out, not being very particular as to my choice.  I had some small scraps of paper and I used the grid method to get the proportionately correct size and draw the design on the paper.

Using the grid system makes drawing the design simple and fast.  All that is left is to paint the shapes.

I thought the large red shape on the right would balance the yellow shapes, but now that it is painted I think it needs a small yellow shape on the right that is on top of the red.  That would also give me an odd number of yellow shapes which would be much better.  What do you think?  It certainly is different from what I normally do and a "learning distraction".

Be Still My Art,

Kay

The Prodigal

My son and I like to go to estate sales once in a while.  There are often lots of treasures to be found... you should see the watercolor paper I have gotten at a bargain price!  Once in a while we will get to a sale and the sellers will be limiting the number of people who can go in at one time, so we have to wait outside until it is our turn to go in.  Not too long ago we were waiting and it was already getting pretty hot when my son put his arms on the gate and laid his head down... and bam!  There it was ~ the sun shining on his back and arms and the entire situation changed for me.  Instead of being at an estate sale I was planning a painting!  Actually I was still at the sale but my intentions changed.  Instead of bargain hunting I was grabbing for my phone (I didn't have my official camera with me!) and ordering my son not to move!

The photo isn't the quality I could have gotten with a "real" camera instead of a phone, but it was certainly good enough to bring back the feelings the moment had provided... I just knew there was a painting in there.  I don't know how you work, but often I mull a painting over in my mind for several months before I do anything about it... other times, not so much!!  This time I thought about the painting for a long time before finally putting it on my computer and into photoshop where I played with it a bit.

The first thing I did was crop it to make it a horizontal painting.

The next thing I did was bump up the contrast and the saturation of the colors.

It is already looking better.  Next I discarded the color so I could work with the values.  I had to isolate a couple of areas so I could make them darker or lighter.  When I had the values the way I thought I wanted them I posterized it at level 3.

Then I just had to draw it on the watercolor paper and paint it.  After I had worked on it a while I asked Susan Giannantonio to critique it for me.  She had a few suggestions... some I took and some I probably didn't. :>}   

The completed painting... Body Language: The Prodigal   

(I think it is a long distance from the gate where the man is to the front door... what is keeping him from going on in??  Why does he appear so dejected?  Lots of unanswered questions...)

The first in a series on Body Language.  

And now you know how I work from start to finish of a painting.  How bout you?  What tricks of the trade do you use when painting? 

Be Still My Art,

Kay

Be Still My Art

 There have been moments in my life when something or someone has been so beautiful that my heart has fluttered and my breath has been short. In my mind, if not aloud, I have muttered a little "be still my heart" and I knew that moment had to be shared.  Ever have one of those moments?  Like when a grandson is born and is crying and the only one who can console him is his great grandmother...

...or when your granddaughter is swimming her heart out determined to win the race...

...or when your grandson is that rock star that he is certain he will be someday...

...or maybe you have a couple of big leaguers in the making...

It may be a moment when the morning sun is shining on a flower that has just bloomed, or the sun is coming through the window creating gorgeous lights and shadows.  Wherever you are and whatever you are doing you stop, grab the camera so you have a photo to jog your memory and the seed for the next painting has been planted.  Ever have one of those art moments?

My blog will be about those art moments that take my breath away and how I capture that moment for others to experience also.  The teacher in me may even come out sometimes and who knows what might happen then... it is said the best way to learn something is to teach it.

 I hope you will join me and share your art moments as well.

Be Still My Art,
Kay