Originally posted 12-27-2012
Making a painting takes a lot of work, especially making a good painting. We all know there are way to many bad ones out there. It takes a lot of layers, a lot of trial and error, and a lot of time. The secret is making it look like it just flowed out of your hand, like it was nothing, like it was breathing.
If anyone has seen the new Matisse show at the Met, “In Search of True Painting,” http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2012/matisse
which I greatly encourage, it only proves my point. No one (or very few) would agree that Matisse is a master painter. This exhibition shows his process. He would rethink his compositions on different canvases, resolving problems with trial and error. Later, when photography was more widespread, he would use the camera to document the many steps his paintings would go through, proving to his doubting audience that his works weren’t one shot deals.
I am no Matisse, but my work involves many layers and attempts. It is the push and pull of the paint and the brushstrokes, of trying to create some kind of depth and illusion on a flat surface, to create a window into the visions of your mind that makes this process so exciting.
My current body of work is no exception. I have been working on these pieces for several months. Some days things go well, while others I feel like I have killed a piece and must find some way to put life back into it.
Everyday, I document what has happened to the pieces, for better or for worse. Here is an example of what a painting may go through, from beginning to end:
This is the final result. This piece is 5×4 ft. Hope you like it.