New Studies

I was determined to make some time to paint and experiment during Christmas break.
I made the time--and totally enjoyed the exploration!
Looking for images, I stumbled upon a pic of a beautiful Gandharan Buddha head.
I really became obsessed with the shapes that make up the head. (I think it is a fragment of a larger piece)
I wanted to try it in a few different styles:
This one is loosely based on the style of an artist named Ann Gale. I tried to make nothing but (mostly) horizontal brushstrokes to create the image.
I was pretty pleased with this--it needs a second layer worked over it to bring out the image more. I like how the image appears and disappears at different points into and back out of the background.


This next one was one in which I was interested in achieving a certain sense of immediacy to the painting. I also wanted to try to portray the energy of the piece. Attempting to portray the movement/feeling of energy that I can feel/see when I see/feel an object.

It's not all about seeing something...it's about feeling it.
And to feel it you have to see beyond what is immediately available to be seen,
and feel what it is made of from it's core moving back out to what is immediately seen.
I look at something until I feel it.
What's immediately on the outside isn't going to give you all the answers.
I have grown to be more interested in creating something imbued with feeling and energy, than in creating something that only fulfills some ideal of perfection. Although I still feel that there is nothing wrong with creating that bit of "perfect" when you desire to. This can be very fulfilling also.


For the next one, I was mostly really exploring the use of many lines to create form. I also chose a monochromatic color scheme which I really enjoy.
I really like the openness and linework. There is softness, yet also good line and solid form.



This one was a slight take on some of the work of Lyonel Feininger. I really wanted to capture his way of faceting the images and light. I would like to try this again, I think maybe with a different finish with the gessoed surface.



All four--I like to see them together. :)