November 14, 2012

Convenience

Acrylic on Panel - 8 x 10 inches - Click Here to Bid

This is a close-up view of the same corner I painted a few days ago, with the tall palm trees.  Trying to get bigger and yet stay loose. The timer is helping. It's not relaxing, but it does help me focus.

here's an update with a little bit of adjustment...


November 11, 2012

Palace

Acrylic on Panel - 5 x 7 inches - Click Here to Bid

Another timed painting. This time, just twenty minutes. I pulled out yesterday's palette and just dove in. I'm not sure why I take so many askew pictures, but even more puzzling is why I don't correct them before painting them. Something in the subconscious must be hard at work. 

November 10, 2012

Amy at the Market

Acrylic on Panel - 6 x 6 inches - Click Here to Bid

Just a random candid photo from this summer I never got around to painting.

I'm trying to do timed paintings now. I find if I give myself only 30 minutes to paint, I jump right in and just try to render what is there without over-thinking it or planning what steps I might take. I didn't even do any sketches or preliminary drawing on this one. I just started with the brim of the hat, the shape of the face, the neck, the shirt and I was well on the way.

I'm also still using the Golden Open Acrylics, so things stay wet and messy. I think they keep me focused and in the moment, because in a timed painting I can't wait for an area to dry before going over it, so I just have to deal with my placement of shapes or accept that painting into an area will blend with whatever is already there. I can, however, glob on thicker applications of color toward the end, as in the white on her shirt. (that was still a bit wet the next day – a real surprise for someone used to acrylics).

November 6, 2012

Zombie

Acrylic on Panel - 4 x 6 inches -  Ω

My entry for the Daily Paintworks Zombie Challenge. I hadn't really even intended to participate in this week's challenge. However, I was touching up some paintings, and had a few blobs of grey paint out. I quickly sketched a figure from a piece of junk mail on the table. Later in the day, I was doing some more touch up work, and had the blues and greens out, so I started adding a few more strokes to the face and realized while I was doing it that the universe had tricked me into creating a zombie portrait.