I did three studies today, including the Nude Study from my last post. Here’s the other two - and I did not spend more than an hour on each, if that long.

 

There was a woman painting the rest of the group as we all painted the model - in about 90 minutes she had done a finished oil sketch, maybe 30 x 30″ - I could recognize myself in her painting - it was quite good - though I feel she needs to take her work to the next level - but that’s for her to decide, not me.

Anyway, she took a catnap on the studio couch and I decided to paint her Palette - since her palette was the most interesting thing in the studio to me.  She kinda woke up after about 30 minutes and eventually wanted to use her palette, so I made this a quick study and decided to just abstract off it - thinking of Picasso while doing this - started with Oil Pastels and quickly used chalk over it, then spraying with fixative.

The last painting of the day, below, was another view of the studio - with the theme of “painting within a painting” that I started last week.  Only, you probably can’t tell because my treatment was loose and I got exhausted - but it was a good exhaustion.

I like this study - for all the looseness of it - there’s some color effects that happened - that I allowed to happen.

Again, I asked my self - what’s my commitment to these works?  Answer:  I don’t know.  I only know that it feels right to me doing as I am - where this all goes … I don’t know.

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.

I got over to my studio at Brooklyn Artists Gym and painted a nude study - it’s not the most exciting work I’ve done - I tried the capture the dignity of this male model who I may have painted before sometime last year.

I don’t think 3 hours is enough time to complete a study - I still do all my work in one sitting - in fact I think my artwork and blogging are closely related.  I’m constantly blogging and wanting to have immediate contact and immediate feedback - which is OK for a blogger - it’s also how I feel about my artwork.  I don’t want to wait - I don’t want to spend 5 sittings glazing that’s probably not going to improve anything much for me, anyway.   I guess that’s partly why I like Oil Pastels - it’s quick - no setup - pretty good range of colors which stay the same as when you put them down ) unlike acrylic, which dries differently than when it’s applied (wet).

I tried something different and worked on a painting within a painting - a little different working on something like this - I had to finish the left and lower part before going into the rest - I decided this study was impossible to complete for me.  I don’t think I was successful with this study but it’s an interesting idea.

Before leaving tonight I stopped by the BAG Photography show  that was opening  called Look SEE::  PHOTOGRAPHS ON REFLECTION, curated by Michelle Jaslow.   A lot of good photos - many pushing the edges of photography.

Fun show - did not stay long though.