Assembly stage

Started working on assembling the new painting. When I made the casts of my father's hands, I had to do the insides of his palms separately so he could get out. Now I had to put them together with extra gauze. It looks like the painting will do best at about 2 x 4 ft. I just happened to have a piece of canvas about that size and it was easy to do a trial layout of the pieces since that's also the size of my work table.

The lower entity is actually a cast of my own face and represents someone seeking guidance. The upper one (a cast of my dad) represents a guiding spirit. I've made the stretcher and will let the glue harden overnight.

In the meantime, I worked a little more on the painting with FL's cast. Since it's about letting go of past allegiances for those that are more suitable, it needed the face of the one being let go. It's a highly modified cast of my own face that I'd removed from the original version of Stellar Flame. I had padded the cheeks and nose of that one to create a slightly different face, but these remnants work well for that purpose.

I also have the sculpting stage of Joy Shared to finish. Need lots more faces for that one.

It's pretty cold down in the basement with the weather so cold outside. Even with the wood stove going, it only gets up to about 50°. It slows down the drying process. So I'll let things sit overnight.

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Rethinking Opening

Although the work schedule has prevented me from going ahead with the new painting I did casts for, I have spent some time thinking about this one - "Opening".

Although I'm happy with the sculpture side of it, I can't stand the painted aspect. I've exhibited it this way, but was really disappointed with how it looks. The colors are muddy, the linseed mix is uneven ... it's just not "there".

I'm definitely going to repaint it. Ideally, I'd chop it up into three separate pieces as well, but I'm not sure how well they'd survive coming off the stretcher and being re-stretched. It may be a total rebuild around the casts. At 4 x 9 ft., it's really unwieldy and people generally had a confused response to the same person appearing on the canvas three times.

I just can't do anything with this image. I don't want to show it, I can't get myself to make products from the image - posters, mugs, cards, etc. It's just not formed. It's probably better to risk losing it than let it continue in this malformed state.

On a side note, I saw a wonderful program on yoga yesterday. It reminded me so much of the roots of my work, that I'm thinking of looking into learning the proper practice of it. I've had Buddhist and Hindu leanings my whole life. It's time to look into the paths laid by other and see what's there.

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Sketches and Plans

Did a host of rough sketches for children's book ideas after tossing ideas for TV shows around with Helen. Some of these have been living in my head for years (one of them for decades). I'll have to scan them next week when work slows down.

I'm also hoping to convince my Dad to let me make plaster casts of his hands when we go up to visit for Thanksgiving. I've wanted several sets of larger, older hands for paintings I've had in my head since April. No telling what he'll say. He has some pretty severe dry skin problems on his hands sometimes, but the process will probably make them feel better.

No sketches on that series of paintings yet. They've been evolving in my subconscious. When I start to sink into sleepiness, like now, they become clearer in my mind and refine themselves just a little every time. It's a series of "guiding spirit" paintings where the older, wiser being is gently holding the head of a less sure, floundering soul. It's a somewhat shamanistic feeling they're giving me.

Sketches of those need to happen soon before they fade.

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Starting Over

This is a new art blog. Access to the last one was lost somewhere in the change of email. Although it's been a while since I've worked on any new paintings, there are lots of them lining up at the exit doors in my head.

I'm also looking forward to collaborating with Helen Wassell (similar name, no relation), next year on her art project "No Fear". As usual, she's going to be taking us on a wild ride. :)

The previous blog can be found, frozen in time, HERE.

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