Grandfather was turned against the wall for a long time; I just didn’t like the direction it was going. Since then I’ve completely altered the background by adding the landscape through the window, and the green curtains. I wanted to make a painting that didn’t look ‘modern.’ I used to think about categories of subject matter. What makes something modern? Lately, I’m less interested in these meta-type issues.
The unfinished ‘Grandfather’ on the easel
Grandfather is based on a photo of my daughter and father. I’ve reworked my father’s face many times and now–finally!–I’m satisfied with the drawing. The painting has a long way to go, but I like its direction now. Grandfather is 40″ x 50″.
My worst days in the studio are when I hit a wall–something isn’t working. There are a lot of reasons for a painting to fizzle out, of course, but in the end it’s almost always poor drawing. If the drawing is really good, it’s almost impossible to mess it up. If the drawing is weak, it’s nearly impossible to correct it once a painting starts without looking overworked.
One of my Playhouse Square series of paintings can be seen in the background. Euclid Avenue II isn’t far enough along to share yet. Euclid Avenue II is 4′ x 5′.