Studio journal 2/21/17
I’ve always approached painting as a process of carving away and revealing, the way I imagine a sculptor approaches sculpting. Not modeling but carving. I bring this up because this unfinished painting, Sub Rosa, is a pretty good example of my approach. There are many ways to talk about painting, of course. I used to talk about
Studio journal 2/18/17
On the Square is 48″ x 60,” which is big for me. On the Square is part of the Playhouse Square series. I think the three figures in the center-rear sitting at a table are done. It’s the only part of the painting that is finished. I tend to work from back to front and,
Review: Utrecht oils
It’s hard for me to understand this but until this week I never used Utrecht brand oils. I’m not sure why this is. I’ve visited their shops in NYC and Cleveland and ordered plenty of other things from them. True, I was disappointed with the easel I bought from them, but that was recent and doesn’t explain
Studio journal 2/12/17
I spent the day working on Picnic. I’ve written before about how I stalled out on Picnic. The issue was predominately the background figures. I put them in; I took them out; I put them back in again. I use ultramarine violet a lot, it’s especially useful for cool grays. I used ultramarine violet on the shirt of the guy at the
Studio journal 2/5/17
I’ve titled this new painting Down on Prospect Avenue. The other day, I shared the painting after my first painting session with it. I finished the under-painting on this canvas and started “over-painting.” What’s the difference between under- and over-painting? During under-painting, I treat the painting like a pen and ink drawing. The lights
Drawing transferred for new painting
I worked on the drawing/cartoon for Down on Prospect Avenue for a week. In the top photo, I just finished tracing the cartoon, which you can see still stapled to the canvas. I removed the transfer paper to examine the drawing. If I miss something, I can cover the canvas with the cartoon and trace it
Studio journal 1/29/17
Paintings take on a life of their own. Sometimes that’s good; other times, not so good and I argue with the painting. I am not arguing with Playhouse Square Visit but I am surprised at the direction it insists on taking me. Not unhappy–just surprised. Yep, I am getting ready to stretch more canvases, as
Dead brush
The poor old thing finally gave up the ghost. I knocked the Pearl brand in my Brush Reference, but this old brush kept its usefulness for a long time. The once mighty Pearl Paints has been gone for–what?–5 years. I placed the brush alone on the palette for this photo. I was using it on the