How do I start a new painting?
There’s not a simple answer to this question, although I usually start with an abstract. Blocking in big shapes, as bigger shapers are easier for us to see than smaller ones. I start with 5 or so big shapes, before I look at the smaller ones.
It’s important not to only look at the outside, but also at the inside of those big shapes. A couple years ago I made a photo realistic painting of one poppy (oil on 24×28″ canvas). I started with blocking in the colors before I was looking at the meaning of the shapes.
I work the whole canvas at the same time. And the beauty for me is that I can stop a painting at any time. And I often stop before it gets too detailed. Sometimes I do make realistic paintings, just for the heck of it. But what I really like in a painting is to give the idea of the meaning of a shape. I rather paint the essence of an object than give everything on a silver platter. I feel the viewer is wise enough to us their imagination. It’s like a play with the viewer.
What do you see above?
You see 2 different stages of an oil painting . It’s on a piece of 5×6′ unstretched canvas pinned to the wall.
It’s always a good idea to start with an intention. For this painting I wanted to make a painting on a large piece of canvas. Larger than I’ve ever done. And paint it on the floor – like Jackson Pollock – pouring more or less oil paint thinned with odorless terpenoid over it. You can see the result in the first picture, but it’s now pinned to a wall, because it turned out that I don’t have enough floor space where I can freely splatter paint around. Unfortunately.
Talking to an artist friend I painted the left top part darker, so the yellow there doesn’t compete with the other yellow shapes. Result in the 2nd photo. The 3rd is a closeup of an area I really like.
My intention was also to use a very limited palette. I chose alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue and yellow. With these colors I can get an interesting array of colors. Limited palette helps unifying the painting.
I also had in mind to make an abstract forest kind of painting, but nothing specific. I wanted to keep it loose.
It’s now at a stage that I’m not sure if it’s finished or not.
When is a Painting finished?
Good question. One famous painter, forgot which one, once said “when the phone rings”.
As I have overworked many a painting, and I like fresh energetic paintings, especially the abstracts, I’ll leave this one alone for some time (or not). Sometimes I don’t touch a painting for as long as a year. Once I know what it needs I will paint it, and when I don’t feel anything I either discard it (to work on maybe much much later) or I sign and frame it.
Painting as a Form of Healing
What I love about the painting process is that I can be totally free to make what I want. It’s a happy dance between the painting and me. Once I’m in the zone I work with fast energetic brushstrokes, walking back and forth.
When I notice that I start pushing paint around I know I need to take a break, because it’s at that stage that I’m going to ruin what I’ve done so far.
My medium of choice
My medium of choice is oil paint. I love everything about it, the smell, the texture, the slow drying process, the colors and their juiciness (not sure if that’s a word).
Most of my students paint with acrylics, because it’s easier they say. I beg to differ. I find that oil paint is easier to deal with.
Having said that I use all kinds of paint (even sometimes regular wall paint) for the larger abstract ones. It dries faster, and that works well with abstract painting.
I’ll keep you posted on what’s happening with this painting.
EV
