Hot Sky, 2006, Oil on Panel, 11x14
So Wednesday was pretty much a bad day all around. I woke up thinking I really should skip the class in Woodstock and work in my studio all day. But I paid for four classes, yesterday's was the last one and I thought I should go. The drive was fine, but my car is making a jingly sound when I drive and my brakes squeal when I use them, we are taking it in next week, but for now I am stuck with it. Anyway, my nerves were kind of shot by the time I got to Woodstock from the constant noise from the car. And I had a killer headache by the time I got home.
Instead of distracting me from the car and work pressures, the class made me even more frustrated. Nothing seemed right, and I am not happy about the direction that I am going with the underpaintings. They are too realistic, too dependent on the correctness of my drawing of the anatomy, which isn't necessarily correct. What I see in my head is recognizable as a figure, but is less "anatomical", like my landscapes, and I am having such a hard time of getting it out of my head and onto the surface. It's so hard to give up the years of "realistic" figurative drawing when I am standing in front of the model and despite wanting to record what I see differently, I haven't been able to do it yet, to my satisfaction. I think I am also having trouble with it because I haven't been able to really focus on the the figurative work and be immersed in it, for at least a little awhile, the way I have been with the landscapes.
And, unfortunately, I have to put aside the figure work for now because I am so busy with upcoming shows and supplying work to my galleries. The class in Woodstock is ongoing so I can go back again if my schedule eases up, and I do still have the option of a local figure drawing session. I haven't attended that too often because they can't always get unclothed models, but I should get some practice with clothed models anyway.
I can also go back to bribing my children to pose for me. They don't like to pose but will do it if I give them enough money. Great.
2 comments:
Oh Tracy ... you must not feel so down. You have developed your own non-photographic style with your landscapes - it is sure to come with your figures. I am still at the point of knowing I want to be less literal but seemed tied to the 'rules' of composition and of figure drawing! You are a long way along the road from that ...
By the way, I think this latest post is the painting I like the most so far. It has everything.
Thanks for the encouragement Lesly, you're so thoughtful. I'm glad you like the painting. I have painted this particular scene a number of times and this is one of the more successful pieces.
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