The Foundation of the Painting

Sometimes I really struggle with a painting.  I will take it back to my easel numerous times, never being to accomplish a finished piece.  I Look back at those paintings that seemed to give me so much grief,  and I now I can see what most of them had in common.  I rushed the foundation.  Let me elaborate a bit on this.  When I begin a painting, I lay down a basic foundation of color.  This foundation determines many things about the finished piece, such as the color scheme, where the light and dark values will lie, and how balanced they will be, and even where the focal point of the painting will be.  All of this is decided before anything that even resembles an object has been brushed onto the canvas.  If these first layers of paint are not working, then the painting will not work. 

I know that this seems obvious, it really applies to so many things in life.  If you are building a retaining wall, and first layer is not level – the wall will not be level, and it will not be stable, and may eventually topple.  Even though it seems obvious, it wasn’t really something that I thought about with my paintings until recently.  This revelation though, has helped me to become more consistent in my painting style, and I believe that I am a better painter because of it.  From now on, I will not rush the foundation.  Here is one of my more recent paintings…

sunflower 14x18

Artist / Poet Collaboration

I have finally finished my painting for the Artist/Poet Collaboration for the Crossings Gallery in Zumbrota.  This piece was really a challenge for me, even though the poem was fabulous.  I wanted to express the overall meaning of the poem, yet be true to my expressionistic style of painting.  I actually re-did the painting – entirely – twice.  I am happy with this third and final version though, so it was worth all of the effort and turmoil. 

 The poem ‘Country Girls, City Girls’ describes one summer that the girls spent in the country with Grandma, and how it changed who they were.  My painting ‘Both Worlds’ combines city and country images to show how we are a combination of our experiences, and how we can feel bound to multiple places at once. 

Poetry reading and opening reception: Friday, April 18, 7pm at the Crossings Gallery in Zumbrota, MN.

Is Winter over yet

Winter in Minnesota just doesn’t want to let go this year.  With such an early start to the snow fall last fall, the season seems endless.  It is difficult for me to find inspiration in the bare trees, and blue/grey snow, so for the most part this winter, I have drawn on my memories of autumn.  I dig through my snapshots searching for interesting subjects, and then picture myself back in that place with the sun, the warm air, and the magnificent colors all around me. 

I remember my last outdoor art show last fall was in October, and the temperature was in the 80’s in Stillwater that weekend – which is very unseasonable.  I knew that it would be the last summer-like weather for quite a while, so I really tried to take it all in and enjoy every second of it.  That feeling of grasping onto the last bits of summer was the inspiration for most of the paintings that I have completed this winter.