Lately, the painting has been going really well. I've been selling work, which is a great validation. But more importantly, I'm taking great joy in the process of making a painting. The background incidentals are important - great music playing, the wonderful smell of oil paint, the bright studio lights, hot coffee... but what really makes it great has been the joy in the painting itself. Sometimes, the brush moves without conscious control, so fast that I don't understand how the process is working, and the images build themselves. I know what I want to paint, and somehow the painting just materializes. That's fun, but also fun is the building of painted surfaces through layers of paint. I love the actual paint, the richness of the colors, the texture of the paint surface. Brushwork, palette knife, slopping the paint around like butter is just fantastic.
I've been invited out to spend a few weeks in Italy to paint the palio in Siena, and the countryside as well. I of course accepted, and am very much looking forward to sharing pictures of the work with you all in July.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Erik:
You've been invited to Siena to paint the Palio???? Did Leonardo invite you? What's the full story?
Hey Jeff! Yes, and Yes. I guess the best explanation is that we liked each other and enjoyed chatting in Italian. Maybe it's because we both like cooking so much.
I'll pay a nominal rent for the small room with balcony, and use of the downstairs kitchen and laundry service. I'll stay for three weeks,and do paintings every day. Leonardo will show them at his eco-farms, which combined have turnover of about 150 tourists per week. It should be a great chance to experience and paint the palio and the great Italian light.
Post a Comment