I think most people engaged in creative ventures struggle a bit with achieving a balance between producing work and promoting it. I’m no exception. What you see and will continue to see in this blog/newsletter is part of my attempt to reach that elusive balance between production and promotion.
On the production side of the equation, I’ve recently completed “Cliffs”, a large format painting that is representative of where my work is headed.
Cliffs 36”x48” acrylic on canvas
Here is a little bit about the process I used to make it. I started with a couple of unremarkable photos that I took out of the window of an airliner.
I composited them in Photoshop, fussed with them a bit and printed the results.
Then I mounted the print on a small plywood panel and started painting on it.
Cliffs study 16”x20” mixed media
Completing this small-scale study gave me the confidence to start work on the full-sized canvas, starting with basic value patterns.
Somewhere along the way it became apparent that changes were needed, and it was time to depart from the study. So, I did that. After changing the composition, it was a straightforward task to emphasize the cliffs which seemed to become more important when the small scale study was enlarged.
The entire process took about two months of elapsed time to complete. Of course, this includes the time spent tending to the needs of Fred who, as my current cat, has established specific standards about how his food bowl needs to be kept full, and in general have his needs met in a timely manner. More about Fred later.
“Cliffs” will be on display in my studio at ARTHOUSE (1021 R Street, Sacramento, CA) during the upcoming Second Saturday event October 14 from 5 to 8PM. Limited edition giclee prints are also available. Come check it out.
Right now, I need to go take care of Fred.