at work today on the new gained vision IV
3:19 PM: this afternoon i started work on a new painting in the gained vision series: gained vision IV. i made the initial drawing with the unstretched canvas laying on the floor and then moved to my painting table. there’s an underlying creek theme here, with a large tree trunk surrounded by bubbly blue creek water dominating the lower 2/3 of the composition i knocked over a glass jar of india ink, which i stepped in before cleaning it up. i thought the bottom of my sandle made interesting marks on my cement floor, so i lat the canvas back on the floor & stepped on it, creating the pattern you see half way up the composition on the right.
the naked bather on top comes from some photos i shot on the greek island of andros about a decade ago, and remoinds me of an indigenous figure. as of now, the top half on the composition remains white, with the exception of the figure.
11:25 AM: this morning i took a look into my studio storage room. which, like the rest of the studio, needs cleanup. i found 3 plein air creek paintings painted in august, 2011, each 16x16”. i have a new appreciation for this work, which i think deserves to be shown along with other plein air paintings from that period, which you can view below.
looking at them for the first time, after 12 years has gone by, i’m impressed that i was able to create this level of abstraction while sitting and observing the flowing creek. the watercolor and gouache paintings on paper i made during that period are far more realist and descriptive. these oils correspond more to where i’m currently at. i’m taking realist elements and simplifying and abstracting them, so that they’re more about patterns, colors, forms.
cottonwood I, 2011, 16x16"
my studio storage space as it looked this morning.
cottonwood kokh, 2011, 16x16"
creek study II, 2011 16x16"