Friday, January 18, 2008

Oddly enough - updated

I've been working a fair amount lately partially because of the ease of sitting on my couch with a piece of paper, some oil pastels and a bottle of linseed oil. It's easy and keeps me from having to jump up to get more water, clean out my brushes and search for that tube of cobalt blue paint that I just KNOW is somewhere in my paint box. I'm not the most organized painter in the world.

What is odd is not me painting on the couch or changing from acrylics and collage to fancy crayons. It is my subject matter. For whatever reason -- is there really a reason anyway? -- my latest three pieces are portraits. Not portraits of Princess Di or my two sons but reasonably recognizable pieces of humans from the neck up. Reality is not my strong suite and that's not just in my painting, but a quick perusal of posts below shows that art that looks like something you know is not my usual cuppa. Herewith three portraits ala me.

This first one is unfinished. The left side won't change much (okay the eyes aren't there yet) but the right will. Sort of cubist; I like the colors.

No name. Oil pastels on watercolor paper. 11 x 14



The second one is finished. It is of the surrealist painter Yves Tanguy from a 1936 photo by Man Ray. In it Tanguy looks like a 70's punk rocker or maybe a 1980's reject from a Smiths' concert. The funny hairdo is part of the photo but it's a b&w so I made up the red hair.

Yves Tanguy as Woody Woodpecker. Oil pastels on watercolor paper. 11 x 14







Number three is unfinished and, unless it makes a big comeback on the home stretch, much less successful than the other two. Still, this is my arts odyssey and I give you the bad with the good. Maybe it'll help when I give him teeth.

[Monday....It's a little better now thanks to a suggestion by Becca. Thanks grrl.]

Graphic Man. Oil pastels on watercolor paper. 11 x 14

1 comment:

b said...

It's quite flattering to be included in your blog and I'm glad I could be of some assistance on your artistic journey...

I really like the way the top piece is coming along, I think it has great potential. And, maybe you're being too hard on the last one? The background is a little strange but I really like the face, it has a little mardi gras masque flavor.