1:26 PM: today is an overcast, windy day with skies that threaten but never deliver snow. the light cascading through my large north facing windows is soft. as the cloud cover hasn't been too thick, the light is actually ideal for painting; bright enough to see the colors clearly without the excessive brightness and glare sometimes created by a sunny winter day with the snow cover reflecting the light.
below you see the painting before my collage intervention, where i'm indicating a dead spot in the composition, and on the right below you can see me collaging maps to the surface. they have been cut with a matt knife creating curves and suggestive biomorphic shapes which echo the natural curves of the face and introduce a shot of blue as a counterpoint to the earth tones dominating the painting. the suggestion of piero della francesca in the head piece was unintentional, and i think enriches the mystery of this rubens inspired image.
