Friday, October 9, 2009

New Miniature Painting - The Hunter

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Hunter
9.5" X 7"

Another miniture portrait for you, kind reader, to view. Is it odd I am, in part, coping work from the past? I HATE actually copying works- like artists that hover before some masterpiece at the museum trying to emulate the work. how dull. Sure you can learn so much but, hello- yawn. These don't feel that way. Maybe the animal head makes it mine?
I want to do a whole family portrait of deer. At first I thought to borrow the figures from Las Mininas by Velasquez (I love the little girl but a dwarf deer?), but I want something less roomy. Any ideas?

Friday, October 2, 2009

Works in Progress and Magical Realism

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Rower 2'x4'
click on image to enlarge

Generally, when my painting is done it's done, but every now and then I get a challenging piece that just won't finish, darn it. So it is with "Rower". The teal chair just wasn't vibing with the rest. A case of really liking a part but knowing that that part really wasn't working in the whole picture. It had to go to get to a better place. Sorta like life, eh kind reader? Certain relationships? It just wasn't happening, persnickety thing, so I attacked it with a sander. Please don't think I'm suggesting you do this to your boyfriend.

Anyway- the painting almost seems a bit spooky small like this, especially since I sanded her face off. Ill have to let it sit a couple weeks before I know where to go next. Even like this though its so much more interesting. So much art out there is just plum boring. I fear being dull or not unique or too trendy, which is equally boring. I want to give my pieces all a magical air. I like the concept of magical realism created by many South and Latin American writers (Marquez, Borges, even Calvino)- just a stretch of life- symbolism and the metaphorical layered onto real life.

And another miniature almost done- a sneak peek at my desk! The three wooden boxes are rolling about in my head waiting for their tripich images to magically appear. Perhaps a mobile?