This post is primarily about the paintings I have been considering positioning upon the crura.
[See Legs.]
The paintings themselves were begun in late Summer - early Fall 2018, and although I have documented their development with photos over the past six months I have not devoted any postings here to them until now.
Briefly, the seed for the idea to begin working on canvases was planted in late June/early July with the idea that they might be given some sort of pedestal or leg, like the crura. Unlike the other paintings and drawings I (and the others) are working on the shapes and images in these paintings are not directly derived from the process developed over the past two years and do not originate with the Good Witches of the Between. Instead, I am beginning new paintings using a combination of unused and older, previously painted canvases I have stored in my studio. In these paintings I am taking parts of the processes used in the other work and applying in different ways, using different materials and/or allowing myself or one of the other persona to try her (his) hand at working in the way if another. For instance, Franzi’s blue is brought in as oil crayon or thin, oil washes instead of acrylic. Petra uses the hair dryer and I cop her tendency toward poured, drippy white paint and watercolor-esque transparency with oils. The previously used canvases - all painted with acrylics and oil-based enamel paint markers - were first coated with thick layers of acrylic medium and sometimes thinned gesso. In contrast to the brand-spanking-new canvases, the textures and paints of the previous painting push thru and impact the new painting’s development by providing me with something to respond to. This is similar - in the sense that I am responding to what is there - but different from the process of responding to the subsequent iterations of the other work. With the unused canvases I can only respond to what develops as I paint; there is no other history than that which I am making in the moment.
I am ready to put these six canvases aside for now and begin another group. I am considering working with some slightly larger canvases (36 square inches, 30 square inches, and 40 square inches) and, possibly, a few smaller (12 square inches). The 36 and 30 inch canvases are new, the others are previously painted. I am still considering what the ‘cannibalization’ of the older work means in the context of what I am doing, or if it means anything at all.
Now for the images.
First I will post a few snaps made in the studio of the paintings as I worked on them. I will end with images of the paintings taken in natural light (around 9 AM), standing in front of the white wall hanging on a single ‘leg’ - only an inch or two of the leg is visible as this is about ‘the painting’ and not ‘the object’ … writing that makes me realize this is something - a difference - I will need to articulate further, but not now. There is still more painting to be done and further attention to the legs.
This is one of the 24 square, ‘fresh’ canvases. I began these paintings in mid-September just after completing the renovations on the studio-greenhouse.
The other of the two, 24 square ‘fresh’ canvases. This photo reminds me I did refer back to an early work … a collage portrait of Melusine. I had forgotten this.
One of the 18 x 24 inch previously painted canvases. After coating with acrylic medium to prevent the oil-based enamel marker paints from bleeding into the oil paints I would be using, I taped off the canvas and poured thinned gesso onto it, drying with the hair dryer to create additional texture.
Painting blue.
Drawn with oil stick blue. This is the 16 x 20 previously painted canvas.
Detail of poured paint (dry) on one of the 24 inch square canvases.
One of the 18 x 24 inch canvases.
20 inch square canvas.
The 18 x 24 inch canvas.
The 16 x20 and the two 18 x 24 canvases.
The 16 x 20 canvas.
Detail of the 20 inch square canvas.
One of the two 24 inch square canvases.
The other of the two 24 inch square canvases.
The 16 x 20 canvas.
The 20 inch square canvas.
One of the 24 inch square canvases … going white.
Playing with the 16 x 20 canvas and two legs.
The 18 x 24 canvases side by side in the sun, with shadows.
One of the 24 inch square canvases, nearly finished, on the wall.
Playing with the paintings, the legs, and part of Chamber.
Different heights, a side view.
And now the six paintings.
16 x 20
18 x 24 (Blue Yellow)
18 x 24 (Pink Blue)
20 Square
24 Square (Double Pod)
24 Square (Triple Pod)
A few details.