Forcing It

In the best of worlds "working" a painting involves a positive energy that flows naturally. A quiet confidence dominates the process. Such was the case with the portrait below. That's not to say problems don't materialize but solutions come readily. This is the optimal way to paint and dare I say to go through life. Of course in the real world this state of harmony can not be maintained indefinitely. Working a painting can easily devolve into "forcing" a painting.

Molly, oil on linen, 13" X 11", 2009
Collection of Neva Trenis

Forced energy is negative energy. I've started asking a couple of questions when I feel work on a painting becoming forced: 1. Is the working process satisfying or am I just going through the motions? 2. Am I learning anything new or simply repeating old mistakes in new ways? If I can answer one of these questions positively I'm inclined to continue. If not I need to put the project aside, at least temporarily, and move on.

As the year comes to an end I find myself facing a similar issue with this blog. My path ahead with the figure isn't clear. Hence my focus on these posts has muddled. I'll stay on board as long as the writing is enjoyable and topics continue to flow.

Quality Time

I won't be hiring any models this winter. My studio has some heat issues so any private sessions with the nude will have to wait until spring. Nature has presented me with what is probably a needed break from the figure. To stay occupied and focused I am working on a life sized trompe loeil oil of a shirt. What appears simple at first glance is in fact quite complex.

Shirt, day two

My brush strokes the first couple of painting sessions were confident and energetic. But as the picture progressed I found myself becoming increasingly hesitant and deliberate. Without the urgency of a live model it is easy to settle into an uninspired comfort zone. Painting in this manner can be counterproductive and actually drain energy from a work.

Shirt, week two

The spirit with which one works transfers directly into the work. A short vibrant painting session is preferable to a long half-hearted one. This is an important distinction. At 63 I am keenly aware that the energy available for any given task is finite. I no longer have the perspective or advantage of youth where time is seemingly limitless and expended vigor is readily replenished.

A Burning Ember

I know an artist who gets up early every morning, writes in a journal and then works on his art before going to a full time job. He has been doing this for many years without any apparent break. I greatly admire his consistency and dedication. I, on the other hand, have extended periods when I'm "hot" that are inevitably followed by cold spells. My work seems to be inextricably linked to lifes ups and downs.

During these cool periods I can feel detached not just from my art but from life in general. I'm not sure which is the cause and which is the effect. If this goes on too long I try to work on something - anything - to keep at least a faint ember burning.

 Nude study from drawing, oil on canvas, 9" X 8", 2012

Back in 2012 during an extended slump I decided to do some oil studies. I wasn't up to any live model sessions so I used some drawings as source material. I was just trying to stay loose and keep an "edge on", practicing scales you might say. Working in this manner was very liberating. There was no time constraint with a model and absolutely no expectation of "success". Staying engaged in some way can help you be ready when, hopefully, the ember reignites.

Tension

Poses involving more than a small amount of muscle tension are hard to hold. As a result, with the exception of quick gestures, most models rarely attempt them. In recent years I have been fortunate to work with some excellent models who have made tension filled poses part of their repertoires. One male model often uses a rope to support his more dynamic efforts.

Figure Study, oil pastel, 11" X 9", 2014

Another has perfected what appear to be very stressful stances. By focusing on not so obvious stress points he can hold poses like the one below for a half hour or longer. Beyond pushing the models physical limits these poses also challenge the comfort zones of the artists trying to capture them.

Figure study, oil pastel on toned paper, 9" X 10 1/2", 2014

Achieving a dynamic pose doesn't have to involve ropes and straining muscles. Just a simple twist or turn can create subtle but effective tension.

Nude Study, oil on canvas, 9" X 12", 2013

The Oil Sketch

It never occurred to me to make a distinction between an oil sketch and an oil study. There is probably no sharp line between the two. A sketch in paint would be comparable to a gesture study in drawing where marks are quick and impulsive. Turns out I have been doing sketches since I started painting the figure in oils. Some happened by accident as time ran out in a session while others were purposeful with self imposed short time limits.

Oil sketch on linen, 11" X 9", 2008

Oil sketch on canvas, 12" X 7", 2014

As with my drawings, the first minutes of even long term oil paintings start as sketches. Almost no record exists of these. Early paint strokes are quickly covered by more deliberate marks. For the image below I spent most of the session trying to find a good composition. As a result I was only able to get down some very basic brush lines before time with the models ran out. (See October 15, 2014 post)

Two figures (day one), oil on canvas, 42" X 33 1/2", 2013

I have done hundreds, maybe thousands, of pencil or ink gesture studies on paper. I've only done a few purposeful sketches in oil. I balk at the idea of dashing off a painting in less time than than it takes to prepare the surface. This is a terrible excuse for not doing more paint sketches. Practicing quick bold brush strokes for their own sake would be an excellent learning tool. I'll have to figure out a way to do more.

It's over

My art career is over. This isn't the first time I've felt this. My wife tells me I'm prone to hyperbole and have a bad habit of seeing things in absolutes. She also says that every year around this time I go into a slump. Recently some life issues have intruded and I'm having a hard time connecting with my work. At the same time I've had to set it aside a long term painting that turned problematic. It feels like an episode of the Batman TV series … Could this really be the end of Bruce Day the painter?

Reclining Nude, oil pastel on toned paper, 8 1/2" X 11 1/2", 2014

Given the lofty high I've been on lately it's not surprising I've come down. History tells me not to be too quick to count myself out. More than likely my "winter funk" has set in a little early this year. The wisest course would be to try and keep my painting and drawing skills sharp and ride this out.

The Other

My history of showing in galleries and art spaces is rife with unpleasant memories. As a result I have not exhibited outside my own studio/gallery in many years. Recently, mostly out of a desire to see my work in a fresh context, I entered and had two pictures accepted in a juried figurative show. Surrounded by thirty plus pieces by other artists my entries, a painting (pictured below) and drawing, stood out as "the other", almost another species. And I doubt this difference was perceived or even comprehensible to most artists or their audience.

Seated Nude, Oil on canvas, 30" X 25", 2013

The overwhelming majority of todays visual artists have both in method and subject matter firmly embraced the digital world. Photographic images are their substance. It is present in the DNA of their art. I have long been aware of the chasm between this work and my life based pictures but the divide is much wider than I ever imagined.

I'll continue to champion the benefits of working from the real world. My harangues are usually met with blank stares. Don Quixote probably had a better chance subduing his windmills. I'll continue to work with talking, breathing individuals in actual environments. It helps keep me whole and grounded.