Friday, August 14, 2009

farther along on the burke-gilman


so here is my best attempt at a photo of the new wet 12 x 16 oil on panel of the same scene sketched a few days ago. This has been an illuminating experience in many ways. First, I don't get tired of painting the same thing, plus it's a different puzzle to solve in different media; second, this process causes me to look at and see the scene again and then again; third, working in black and white helps me work out values. These are no-brainers to visual artists, but I relearn a lot of these every day as I clump towards enlightenment.

I am sure many of my friends on flickr will go on liking one of the sketches better than this painting; but this is a step closer to my own goal -- if only because I addictively struggle to bend this beloved medium to my will.

3 comments:

Mark Ryan said...

I'm guilty of not looking at my subject enough. You’ve done it a number of times. Doesn't it become a simpler problem the more times you visually wrap your arms around it and put it to canvas or paper? This is a great piece that invites you to explore the trail via the composition, atmosphere and color.

Betker said...

Thank you, Mark! Your work is always fresh and thought-provoking, and it's clear you see your subjects well! I was really surprised how much fun it was to keep finding new puzzles within one scene.

Gerald de Dios said...

Really nice, subtle lighting!