Actually, I’m going to try an experiment and try to get my latest “Nude Study” to show up in Google Images for ”nude study” in the first page; I’m inspired by my success with “After The Bath” - my painting appears in position 19 today (it used to be in position 14 - so eventually it’ll end up on the second page of Image results for “After The Bath” - which was the name of some Degas Pastels).  Swear to God, I knew nothing of this when I named my painting - “after the bath” 20 years ago - this would happen.

Anyway…. when got to my studio this morning I opened up the oil pastels I bought last night - only they were not oil pastels but regular chalk pastels.  Decided to use the chalk pastels  anyway and I’m glad I did.  Plus, I found out I could freely put Chalk Pastels over Oil Pastels (the other way did not work so well - to be expected).

 

Nude model is named Katherine; she has a website called KatLove and has a nice long body; but Katherine  has a shaved head - I asked her if she was going after the Brittney Spears looks - and Kat said I’m the 8th person to ask her that question this week.

A couple of thoughts about this study …. which I spent the full 3 hours on.  

1. Changing the materials I’m working with had a profound effect on how I worked (and what I ended up with)- Chalk Pastels are much quicker, much more fluid than Oil Pastels - it’s also possible to get more vivid color effects and I decided to go for it.   

I did start this one off with Chalk Pastels for the first 20 minutes and sprayed the drawing with fixative during the nude model’s break, and then working onto with Oil Pastel; I got some nice effects that way.  But then I decided to use the chalk pastels onto of the Oil Pastels and it worked really, really well.  

2. I was thinking about how I might start off my work, if I make it to France in late May, with chalk and finish with Oil Pastel.  The idea of me - painting in the countryside of Aix - is scaring me a little.

It’s not like I can just paint on my own terms than walk over to the nearest coffee shop - being in the countryside means ..kinda, being away from it all.  I’m kinda glad I won’t spend the full two weeks in Aix….and I’m not sure I have the money to go yet, anyway (and it appears  I’m going to owe 2006 taxes - or at best, brake even - so I just don’t know).

3. I wonder about my commitment to be an artist - I’m spending the better part of a day a week at my studio, making strides - but often, as I’m painting I feel as if I want to get up and leave…. and I force myself to stay and work.  Then, all of a sudden, I see some possibility in my work - a passage of color, and I forget, for a time, my discontent and get totally wrapped up with the painting.

I mean, it’s easy for me to just waltz in to paint one day a week, yet several of the other artists in my studio many come every day and spend at least a couple of hours painting - I’m paying the same money they are…but am I as serious about Art as they are?  And many of the artists are showing and seeking to show their work while I’m doing mine for my own self development and I also post my work here, on ArtNewYorkCity.com.

So…I don’t know all the answers to these questions - but I know that what I’m doing feels right to me, for me, painting as I do.   And, I feel it’s more important to focus on what I can do instead of what I can’t.