The slightly corrected version from the early Sunday post.
Note: I am trying the new feature for Google + that links my blog with google plus accounts. These links have a + sign in front of them. +Oregon State University . Congratulations to +Jordan Poyer . Defensive All American.
I decided to do this watercolor of Jordan Poyer of OSU as a gift for my sister and her husband who are huge OSU fans. I was hoping to post this watercolor before the game yesterday, but I wasn't where I wanted to be with it. Then I watched in disbelief as OSU lost the +Alamo Bowl to that Texas team which shall remain unnamed. This is definitely a painting that I want to make into a slideshow (my next project today). At times I felt like I was painting a landscape on a pinhead. It started to become tedious and I had to back away several times to try to loosen it up. I'm trying not to nitpick it to death. It will never be perfect, I just want to be able to look at it (hopefully years from now) and not regret fixing something. It took me the most part of two days to get it to this point.
My impatience almost hurt me, because I started out with NO Orange on my palette. I had to mix the Orange about 300 times ( felt like it) as I went along and as you can see, this is an Orange dominated painting.
There were times where I couldn't find my little mixtures of blue for the subtle shadows. My palette started to look like a color hoarder's, with about 14 little puddles of paint mixtures hanging around the main colors
The challenge of getting a painting like this to look loose enough without being sloppy is considerable, because practically everything has to be in proper proportion. I was working in an 11" X 15" inch window. I found out that the brushes I have are not small enough for this, and I was alternating between a stiff #1 (A Grumbacher that I've had for over 20years), and 2 way-too-soft liners. That tiny Grumbacher saved me, because I had to remove paint in tiny spots several times, and nothing else I have will do that.
This is the slideshow I made to track my progress on this painting. The software didn't allow me to comment on each slide. Something I need to do to track my steps. You will notice about halfway thru I had to wipe out the face and completely overhaul the helmet angle. The funny thing is, that was a huge mistake on the most focal part of the painting. I remember not having a clear look at the detail of the face. I had to go back and magnify the face to get a better idea what I needed to do.
Not much to say here. I liked the photo my daughter took of her and her new adopted dog. The challenge was trying to get the close up view of the dog to look identifiable. A lot of pencil strokes later... In fact many more than I anticipated having to do I got the look I was after, but I might have to tinker once I study it for a bit. I just finished this and you know how it is. I'll see something that isn't right and need to go back in.
It's been bothering me that I haven't done a finished watercolor yet. I want to get that done today, but time isn't on my side.
I'm keeping this short because Chuck Close has told me to get off the computer and get to work. But I have to share this link for his words of wisdom, and yes, inspiration.
Described as the link between Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst is Jeff Koons work...vinyl toy represented in a metal sculpture.
Damien Hirst Two parrots with grotesque baby
Tracey Emins Friendship, one of the only remaining early works. She destroyed the others.
I want to start with this statement. I started this blog to show how I am developing my skills as a visual artist.
I don't necessarily care about making a statement in everything I draw or paint at this point. And that's why I include a variety of subjects here. Eventually as I move forward I will show more focus on specific topics.
First, my thanks to a real artist Candace Bohannon. She along with her husband Julio Reyes (and other fine representational artists ) has inspired me. She posted the above link because representational artists get little respect in the world of "high Art". So I began to look at the many current artists who have gained notoriety. I don't want to harp on this too long because there are enough people doing that already. So why should I even give these artists (Koons, Emin, Hirst) mention in my blog much less post pictures of their work? They certainly don't need any more exposure. I was reluctant to do so, but decided I have come this far with my "research" and people deserve to see what I am referring to. It's not that I hate everything they do, I just don't think they're true artists. Since I define visual artists as those who can paint, draw, sculpt or photograph with at least a modicum of skill and vision. In fact, well, they can't and don't.
And I guess that's the very point that they make. Art is not necessarily about skill or mastery. It's about expression. I get it. But at what point does expression become the only criteria for being widely accepted as an artist.
If you want to hear an Art critics view of this sort of art, I have the interview with Camille Paglia here too. I can't say that she's mentioned these artists directly, but these names have popped up in the conversation around the topic.
I wanted to see Tracy Emins earlier work (above) so I could possibly see how she finally came to the conclusion that putting her dirty bed on display is art.
I found Damien Hirsts painting so I could show how he paints, if in fact that is his painting and not simply one that he directed. I honestly don't know..
Jeff Koons uses expensive materials to make replicas of cheap objects. Like balloon toys. Well crafted huge and colorful.
I know this is not a complete picture, and I've only scratched the surface. I don't have enough time to do more.Again, my personal goal is to develop my skills to a degree that I feel comfortable asking people to accept what I present as art and not just an idea.
Camille Paglia describes her affinity for "Genius" George Lucas in this interview...."the long finale of Revenge of the Sith is the most powerful and the most significant work of art in any genre including literature in the last 30 years".
I'm not yet prepared to comment on that statement, but she does include statements like "...there is a Monolithic Orthodoxy (I take that to mean blind faith) that dictates in the art world that I feel is not in the best interest of art." This I can fully agree with. See the examples of art by Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, and Tracy Emin.
One final note. I might have mentioned before why I don't post many pictures of other artists work on my blog. I also refrain from posting photographs of the work I do. I don't like to do this because of the possible "let down" of someone seeing something I have posted, then realizing that it is either a photograph, or something I didn't do. That's why I put the statement "This is NOT my work.." in the title of this post. In fact, in my very first post here I had the photo first and my painting below it. I got a comment of "WOW" by someone not realizing the first was a photo. Then the inevitable letdown of "but the painting is really good too". I'm confident that those who hit the links to Candace and Julio will not be let down.
I've spent too much time on this days blog, so I apologize if it ends up poorly constructed, but I have no more time to correct it now.
