While I was in the process of posting the retrospective of my Zen paintings, I ran across the fact that I was born in the Year of the Rooster. I had not painted in the free-form gesture genre in some time, and thought it would be fun to explore interpreting the lunar symbol of the year of my birth. I wanted to create an ethereal atmosphere, and kept the background colors cool and grey. Using a purple-brown, I made a bold, page-dominating sweeping stroke to represent the body of the rooster. I then darkened the purple-brown stroke with black, and painted out the top corners to give the subject matter center stage. At the end of the first session, the painting looked like this...
As a free-form painting, this was done very quickly, with decisions regarding color, form, placement and movement made instantaneously. At this point, I left the painting and did a thumbnail sketch in pencil in a 3.5 X 5 notebook of the basic elements, as well as making a 'critical eye' photograph. I determined that I could add a couple of gestures that would further define the subject without making it trite or overdone. I also researched and found the Chinese character for 'rooster' and added it, along with the extra 'feathers' in Phalo Green to offset the red. Now I felt the painting was finished.
Welcome to the Year of the Rooster...
This particular method is both challenging and satisfying. It's challenging because of the limitations it imposes on the artist in terms of defining subject matter with a minimum amount of strokes and detail. The speed of composition allows no time for second-guessing or corrective action. I tend to paint rapidly, and I like to see results quickly. This genre of painting gives me both, and is thus very fulfilling personally.
No comments:
Post a Comment