Leaking Roofs

Every time I gain some new understanding regarding painting or drawing things seem to get more complicated. One would expect the opposite to occur. Solving an issue should reduce the number of unknowns. A ceiling leak in a back room of my studio may have offered some clarification (see 1/24/16 post).

Multiple attempts were made to stem the water from the outside with no success. Finally, in desperation, I devised a system to catch the water inside and funnel it outside. While not fixing the leak I could at least put away the buckets. Immediately upon accomplishing this I noticed a drip emanating from an adjacent window. This drip had been there for some time but my attention had been focused on the larger more urgent flow.

Profile, oil pastel on toned paper, 5" X 4 1/2", 2017

Conclusion: Solving one problem simply frees ones attention to contemplate the surrounding territory. This survey inevitably leads to more discoveries and questions.

A Faint Glow

Sometimes, when I find myself in times of trouble, just a simple sketch can prove reassuring.

Warmup drawing, oil pastel, 5" X 6", 2017

An Experiment

Having worked with a limited palette for some months now, I am becoming familiar with its range and limits. I decided to test my new found knowledge by copying a painting by the most famous practitioner of the method - Anders Zorn. Here is the result of my efforts.

After Zorn, oil on canvas, 10" X 7", 2017

Using an internet download of Zorn's In the Studio I transferred a simple line tracing to a canvas. I then proceeded to copy the painting as best I could using just black, white, red and yellow ochre. While the colors in a digital printout would be vastly different from the actual painting, the relationships of hue and value would hold. I am no Anders Zorn but this little experiment neatly shows the possibilities of a limited palette.

Anders Zorn, In the Studio, 1896