5/9/21 creek oil as it looked moments ago, after removing the lichen spots from the grey rock on the right
3:51 PM: i looked at 5/9/21 creek oil before leaving the studio for the day & i didn’t like the texture i put on the big grey rock . so it’s gone. here’s how it looked moments ago, and if you scroll down you can compare with the earlier version.
2:52 PM: i worked on both of these paintings yesterday. i didn’t get a great sleep last night, so i took it very slow.
first i made some major changes to 4/29/21 creek oil. i had worked on it yesterday and wasn’t satisfied with the result. there was a big violet blue shadow under the horizontal log which is now way lighter and has been broken up by collaged white pieces and a map cutout. i think it works, but as usual, i won’t know till tomorrow morning. that violet-blue shadow beneath the tree trunk was coming from my mind. as a result, it doesn’t work with the total composition, and just weighs the whole thing down. i’m finding that those pieces of collaged white paper with india ink drawings introduce just enough playfulness to take the eye for a magical ride.
BELOW: left: after today’s session and right: how it looked end of day yesterday
i did very little to 5/9/21 creek oil, focusing mainly on the big grey rock and the diagonal tree trunk on the right, which now has some characteristic aspen markings as well as a bit more light and shadow. most of what i did can be seen in the grey rock. it now has markings that are the result of lichen growing over many years and through many seasons. not yet sure if it works, as it is in stark contrast with the more abstracted areas of the composition. on the other hand, i like that contrast, serving as a reminder that this painting was inspired by the hundreds of plein air paintings i’ve made at our creeks over the past few decades.
BELOW: left: the painting after today’s session and right: how it looked end of day yesterday
