The Painting Process: An Artist's Journey of Colors and Emotions Illustrated In 3 Paintings

This is a journey of sorts from one frame ofpainting I did not like."The Power Within Me"
mind to another and the colors and moods that48x36 oil and gold liner on canvas dated
guided me. I describe three paintings and theirAugust 2002 is part of my "African Series" *
process."Anticipation" 36x24 oil on canvas, dated,This painting is part of my "African Series". I
Sept. 1998, from my "Passion Series" *wasused phthalo green
actually a breakthrough piece for me. I had beenalong with my beloved full palette in this series. I
painting my "Victorian Series" for months,painted this
spending hours onquickly as well. It almost feels like a fever, it just
modulating the colors. I paint a lot from photos.flows. I
My goal with theattribute that to doing my homework so to
"Victorian Series" was to put in as many colors inspeak. All those years of
the skin tone as Imodulating and painting in sepia tones, my
could. Looking at a photo or life long enough a lotconstant drawing in
of colors begingraphite gives me a base of understanding. I put
to show themselves that normally go unnoticed.down colors as I
Modulating manyfeel them, almost in a dance and it is most
colors I became frustrated and bored aftercertainly trance like. I
finishing 10 or so ofuse a lot of paint and use big brushes. I work
them. I had a canvas that I had painted a darkfrom dark to light.
blue and decided thatI save the lights and small brushes until I am
maybe it would be ok to just play.....and notpretty sure that I am
modulate at all. Ihappy with the painting in general. It is always
found a picture that I liked, studied the colors,tempting to use
filled my brush asmall brushes and add some highlight but I remind
fresh for each stroke and applied them to mymyself that that
canvas. I have notwould probably ruin the painting and make it
modulated to the extent that I was since. Iappear tedious.
continued painting with this color palette namingSometimes they don't work, but I just think, "So
the series "The Passion Series". I still tried to fitWhat!" I can always
every color inpaint over it, that is the gift of doing oils. I think
the rainbow on my palette as I do to this daysometimes
adding small nuancesthere is more freedom in oils than there is in
wherever I can. I would add here too that thedrawing and most
series before "Thecertainly watercolors. Painting on large canvas' is
Passion Series" was "Hawaiian Legacy" which isalso very free.
predominantly done inWhen I paint small I become locked up and back
sepia, tones.Another example of moving forwardto where I started
is "Girl On Phthalo Green" 36x48 oil on canvas,when I modulated colors. When we draw on
dated Oct. 2000 and from my "Cosmopolitanpaper we try to tell
Series" *ourselves that it is 'just paper' to try to set
I became tired of the palette of blues and fell inourselves free from
love with phthaloworry about the end results, but oils make a
green for a time. I guess I still love it. Thisbetter friend to me.In all of my paintings emotion
painting wasplays the strongest part. This is
greatly influenced by Modgliani. When I was inthe part that takes the longest. If anything must
high school, manybe right it is the
years ago, my mother asked me to copy aemotion felt by the image, so that they can
Modigliani for her house. Ibreath. Sometimes I
painted a 60x72 piece for her in corals. I nevercannot get that part and it is so frustrating to
forgot thatme that I cannot
painting nor Modigliani. When I feel truly inspiredsleep at night. It becomes the only thing I think
paintings areabout. I choose
done quickly and the brushstrokes are doneto paint mostly women because I am one and
wildly. I am in heavenbecause I think they are
during these times. I painted this in perhaps 3beautiful.
hours over another