Keeping Your Cool

A recent figure painting session did not go well. I was aware of being in trouble right from the start. The group selected pose was stiff and my angle and lighting were bad. I always paint with a brush in one hand and a rag in the other. Having only one canvas my rag hand was busy rubbing out the first three or four failed attempts. I simply wasn't connecting.

Oil studies on canvas, 12" X 16", 2015

Viewing my work with fresh eyes after the lunch break I capitulated and abandoned the mornings efforts. Turning the surface horizontally I proceeded to tackle a profile study.

Typically in situations like this my art related insecurities would have induced at least a mild panic attack. But this time was different. I remained calm and focused throughout the ordeal. I was content to use the remaining time to experiment and honestly wasn't concerned with the end result.

Never Mind

It is clear that a repeating topic of this blog has been the eminent demise of not just the blog itself but of my entire art career. Obviously I have issues. This has been a recurring theme in my life but now it shows up in print. I have worked in places where certain disgruntled individuals regularly threatened to quit. It could become tiresome as they seemed to be the ones who stayed the longest.

Seated Nude, oil pastel, 9" X 6 1/2", 2015

Maybe these false declarations help me keep going by providing a theoretical exit during difficult times. My aim is to continue drawing, painting and posting as long as they remain challenging and provide purpose and satisfaction. I anticipate the figure remaining part of the mix. So as Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say "never mind". Just ignore any future harangues.

Hiatus?

This entry (minus the question mark) was written six weeks ago with the clear intention of following through with its conclusion. Now I'm not so sure.

This is my 100th post on this blog. It appears almost exactly two years after the first post. For some time I have been contemplating how to mark the occasion and then the topic became obvious. Over the last couple of months I have been re-visiting some other subjects with my painting, still lifes and flowers mostly. So, at least for now, the figure has taken a back seat. This shift in focus makes it a good time to take a hiatus from these posts.

Reclining Nude, oil on canvas, 12" X 14", 2015

I have no way of knowing how long this hiatus will last. I am acutely aware of having only scratched the surface regarding the human form. Hopefully the challenges other subjects provide will prove beneficial to future figurative work. If a topic regarding the figure proves irresistible I suppose posting will also.

Splendid Isolation

Something has been happening over the last few months. My strong drive to work from the figure has been waining. Facing this realization has caused some trepidation. What could possibly replace the challenge and excitement of a live nude? It appears now that it wasn't just the subject matter losing its luster it was also the working environment. Apparently I needed some solitude.

Back room studio interior, magnolia setup

Magnolia XIII, oil on linen, 15" X 18", 2015

A couple of months ago the heat and noise of summer forced me into a back room of my studio. This was not an entirely unwelcome development. It provided a quiet more intimate environment than the street front room in which I had been painting. What transpired was a month long magnolia painting binge. Early morning forages to fetch subject matter. Then back to the studio for a spirited painting session with the quickly fading blossoms. My only company the radio and perhaps a wasp that had found its way in overnight.

Commissions

I have done dozens of commissions over the years. Mostly still lifes but also a few portraits. It is flattering when someone likes your work enough to solicit a painting or drawing. I was often persuaded to take on a project by an motivated client with a personal vision they wanted expressed in an original artwork. I would also accept projects that took me in interesting and/or challenging directions. I never accepted a commission solely for the money but it was often an important factor.

The sitter for this portrait was enthusiastic and I very much enjoyed our time together. Viewing the painting thirteen years later I see it is overly stiff and has multiple "issues".

David, oil on canvas, 18" X 15", 2002
Private collection

Pleasing a client is always the primary concern with commissions. This proved to be an insurmountable problem for me. Even when they were clearly satisfied I never was. I can only gage success from my own vantage point - a picture has to please me first. I stopped taking commissions some years ago when the backlog of requests hung over me like a dark cloud. I now only make rare exceptions when circumstances force my hand.

A High Authority

I have no doubts about the benefits of working from life. Nor do I need validation as to the superior nature of the working method. But I have to say it was heartening when I came across this quote by Leonardo da Vinci:

"…. those who take for their inspiration anything but nature - mistress of all masters - weary themselves in vain".

Figure Study, oil pastel on toned paper
9 1/2" X 6", 2013

500 years after Leonardo's death I independently came to the same conclusion. I doubt he would think any differently presented with todays plethora of second hand inspirations.

Holding Back

Since starting this blog I have freely posted images with little regard to how many or which works to display. My only concern has been finding the best quality drawings or paintings that illustrate whatever point I am making. Working from the figure two or three times a week new images became available continuously and I had an extensive body of work from which to draw. Looking back at early posts I would include two, three, sometimes four images in one post.

Reclining Nude Study, oil on linen, 9" X 10", 2015

Gesture Study, oil pastel, 8" X 10", 2015

This dynamic has changed. Over the last few months my work from the figure has slowed. Also I unexpectedly took to heart the phenomena I referenced recently about reproduction diminishing an original work of arts aura. I now feel inclined to hold back on posting images of what I consider some of my most accomplished figurative works.