Summer Song
25 x 21
Some paintings just seem to fall off your brush effortlessly. From the first whisper of an idea to the last little tweak, they proceed as if the conclusion is forgone and inevitable, gracefully coming to fruition just as you imagined in your mind's eye. This was not one of those paintings.
This painting came kicking and screaming every step of the way. It started as the demo piece for my workshop in Taos. After bringing it back, I decided I didn't like the composition or the color harmony. I chopped it- from a 30 x 24 to its current size. Now, this is something I never do. But, it needed it, so I took a saw to it. I glazed it, reglazed, it got too dark, I scumbled it, and glazed it again.
More glazes, and then some glaze impasto. Too warm, I glazed it with a cool transparent blue on the left side. The top foliage wasn't right. I painted it out and scraped it back a half dozen times. Some velatura passages in the foliage. Glazes on top of that. I gave up on it. I came back to it. I hated it. Then I liked. Later the same day I hated it again.
Finally, there were little glimmers of hope. I kept at it, finally getting down to a few small adjustments. And then it was done, or I called it so. I've made my peace with it. But, I still hold a grudge.
All images can be clicked for a larger view.
14 comments:
Oh, Deborah, I enjoyed your monologue so much. Been there, done that. The results of your struggles are lovely, and I hope someone will take the offending little bugger off your hands quickly!
i love the light that comes from the right, and the hill...
Thanks for sharing this. We all have those paintings that put up a good fight. Ones with which we have a love-hate relationship. There was a time when, if I just couldn't make a painting work, I'd simply toss (or rip) the whole thing. I've matured. It's a mark of a good artist to endure these struggles, to apply our skills and knowledge and pull from ourselves and from wherever else it comes, a painting that is worthy of our original vision. Your painting is beautiful
It was worth all the struggle. As I opened the email I was grabbed by it, the composition and the colour harmony, it's really a superb painting! It's what I strive to achieve but seldom do, I would have given up long agao. You obviously thought there was something worth rescueing in there and well done for keeping at it and having faith. Those highlights on the three trees make this painting sing!
Oh, so do I Jo-Ann! Thanks.
Thank you Lampros.
Thanks Diane. I don't know of it's a mark of a good artist or just someone who is very stubborn :)
Thank you Nigel. Just had an enjoyable read at your blog-lovely work and such a beautiful place. I see you are a Scorpio (me too) so happy birthday month!
This is a really fine work Deborah. It looks amazing.
I love the beautiful faded out quality of the works. They're very beautiful and elegant.
Way to keep the faith, Deborah. The light in your painting is magnificent.
It ended well, Deborah, with a rich, expressive painting. I loved your description of the maddening process we all go through.
Love this painting, Deborah. Thank you so much for writing of your struggles with it. Those of us who are just starting out in our art journey (and especially me, getting a late start), sometimes wrongly assume that we are the only ones that have to struggle to produce our art. I imagine, when I look at a beautiful work, that is came forth effortlessly because the artist is established/experienced. Your description of what it took to create this painting reminded me that, no matter what our experience, we all struggle and it is important to not give up!
Deborah, Your landscapes are lovely! So glad to find your work, you're right- the landscape does look familiar!
A very real experience of nature…
Ah...but worth the fight! Beautiful end result, the sense of the light is amazing.
Deborah!
This comment is late in coming. I so love the way the light comes through here. You've captured that light that is almost impossible to reproduce.
Congrats on your ongoing success. I hope that you're loving the new drawing table and arrangements in the studio.
I've been too long away but nothing personal. So great to catch up. XO
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