Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Model Time

Lots of things get worked out when painting from life or they don't.  It is a time of observation and working it out.  I have gotten in the bad habit of not taking the time to sketch before jumping into paint.  Partly because I am not disciplined.  Don't get me wrong,  I am disciplined when I want to be, when I need to be.  When I approach a painting with clarity and organization, the sketch and value study are first on the list.  There are times that I think I can envision all of that without the sketch and sometimes that is true.  It is a kind of a test of knowledge and ability.  I can say that there are times I just want to feel the paint or chalk and hear it as it touches the surface.  To watch it as it leans on or rolls over an earlier visitor to the surface is such fun.  I love to play and I love to see all the steps from beginning to end.  I have learned to take responsibility for a lost painting.  To understand where I may have gone on without any plan is big.  So I don't get, that wonderful piece that sits on my mantle to study.  That is okay when I understand I made a choice to explore something different and take another path.  So a plan is best for producing good paintings, but being responsible to respond to a moment in the process that may lead to a different end is exciting.  Interesting things can always be found.  So a sketch is a map and no sketch can be a scavenger hunt.

2 comments:

Kathy Cousart said...

Wonderfully done and really enjoyed this post.

Maria Bennett Hock said...

Love the last line...sketch is a map and no sketch a scavenger hunt...great post!