Last project in progress

In my last post I talked about my final project that was supposed to be about shoes in a woman's life. However, after trying to sketch a few drafts and trying to paint, I soon realized that I would not have enough time to actually pull it off. Also, I was getting really stressed out everytime I was approaching this project, so I decided to change the subject and play it safer,I decided to go with flowers, this is my first draft of a field of Iris with the glazing technique, so far I have been working of pictures, but I will be buying some real flowers this weekend and continue on with the project, I have to do 2 glazing paintings and four small tempera paintings as well. Thank God there is a long weekend coming on, I may have to take an extra day off to finish it all.

I know flowers might not be of interest for everyone, but for now lets consider this project a phase, until I move on to other things.

I wish I had more energy at night but for some reason working with lighting instead of day light doesn't work for me, I seem to loose my motivation, I have realized that I am at my most creative during the day. Imagine, I used to be a night owl!

As usual, I can not wait to either win the Jackpot or retire so I can create and actualize all the crazy projects I have in my head.

I get these flashes of ideas, and I know I should write them down and unfortunately I don't and I usually forget them. However, there are always new ideas to replace them.

CRIT DAY

Well here it is my finish work. How were the ctitics? Actually, surprisingly positive, I think...My teacher decided that the Red Head was a bit humourous, she even suggested that she looked like a transvestite, she liked the exageration of the eyes. Other realy liked the blouse because it was looser and you cold see the brush strokes. The blouse is also my favorite part.

I must say even though she is not a master piece, the Red Head does command attention. She sorts of has an aura of mystery, drama Queen like. I don't know yet whether or not it is finish. I will let it stand and wait to see if somehow she compells me to make some changes.


As for the creature, they were all surprised to hear that it was orginally created in 1503 by Grunewald. I was facinated by the creatures in Grunewald's Isenheim Altarpiece, it seems that monsters have been part of our conciousness for a very longtime.

Overall, they seemed to think that my choices of subject were giving them a snapshot of my personnality! mmm, I wonder what kind of personnality they think I have based on that?

Next will be our final project, we have to make a series of paintings using two of the techniques we have been shown through the year. For my final project I would like to do a series of still life paintings. I will be using the tempera and glazing techniques. The theme I chose for this project is about a woman’s life through the shoes she wore from birth until old age.

Basically, the shoes are the witness of a woman’s evolution made through her selection of shoes. Obviously, she did not choose the first pair of shoes she wore as a baby and probably did not make these choices until her early teenage years; still I would like to paint this series about shoes from birth to childhood followed by the teenage years into her womanhood to finish with the golden years.

Shoes can demonstrate her state of mind, a glimpse of her personality and the changes she will experience through her life. Each of these experiences will influence the choices she will make when selecting the shoes that will carry her through to the next phase.

Why this theme, maybe because of a certain pair of shoes I was forced to wear at age 13, shoes I hated and shoes that lasted through anything I could think of trying to wear them out. Often, we forget how important our feet are, they carry us everywhere, and it is only when our feet hurt that we become aware of their importance in our daily lives.

So, I will start with a series of drawing to determined the compositions that will work best along with the colour schemes for each panel. It is always a stressful moment to begin a project, but it is also very exciting and stimulating because now I have to activate my creativity and I have to move forward and manifest my ideas on canvas. I know I will complain and really stress out, but I also know that within the process I will find that special moment that becomes timeless, when I paint I am in the moment, nothing else matters.

Oil painting and Glazing 3

Still on going, it is a long process. Am I making progress? I go through doubtful moments and frustration. For the most part my frustration comes from the lack of time, I only have the weekends because during the week by the time I get back from work and all it is almost 8pm and by then it is too late to start I am just too tired.

Anyway, I am not writing this blog to complain, but more to share my learning experiences through art. In some ways I might say that it is helping me to acquire some degree of patience. I like movement, especially the forward kind, slow frustrates the hell out of me, hence this technique I am learning. Glazing takes time. My three ungoing projects are due for March 5th, only 4 days to go.

On another note, this blog is also challenging because I have to keep going, I can not quit this class anymore, this is what feeds it, so if I stagnate with my painting so will my blog. This is turning out to be a great motivation factor. Also, last note, look at the status of my first painting with glazing, yep! Still ungoing!