Close Ups, Matilija Poppy...

I'll use this post to elaborate a little on my process...

For a painting to be realistically precise, it must be preceded by a thorough drawing process. On a personal level, for both my drawing and grisaille stages, I like to exaggerate my values (light, shadow) a little bit. Experience has taught me that sometimes when you finally start applying color, it is very easy to get carried away and cover your previous work a little too much.

This becomes especially difficult when there are elements that you need to bring out and elements you need to hide. More specifically, I want volumes brought to the front and hard pencil lines out of sight. Real life objects do not have line contours, so knowing how to get rid of those lines without losing the subject becomes essential.

Even so, when defining values, I do prefer to use a sometimes hard cross hatched pencil line pattern. It has proven to be extremely helpful, because the hard pencil lines require a focused effort to get rid of, which gives me time to work on achieving depth and volume. Besides, I usually use a neutral color as my background for 99.9% of my canvases and boards, so a finger smudging and blurring approach will simply not stand out enough, at least not for me.

As you might have noticed, I mentioned that my newest project consisted in a triptych and a solo canvas. Even though I started to work on all four paintings at the same day, the level of detail I needed to achieve for the solo piece was so great, I couldn't finish it on the same weekend I did the other three. The triptych will showcase the California Poppy, and the solo painting (the one on this post) will feature the Matilija Poppy.

I came across this flower while visiting a botanical garden and I was mesmerized, to say the least. This huge and beautiful thing is so graceful and mysterious, it had to become my central piece for the contest. Its paper-like texture will prove to be a great challenge to paint (it has already been one of the most detailed things I've ever drawn)...

At this point, it does not look like I'm going to finish, but a man can dream...

One Day Paintings are back!

Ok, so I'm not painting from memory anymore! But I'm still trying to keep it small, simple and more importantly, finished in one sitting. Like I said before, I got very sick last week, so I was forced to stop working on this one and finish it later in the week. I am going to try very hard not to sit on these for too long, though. I still want to retain some spontaneity!

Elegant Brodiaea

Oil on 1/8" Primed Gessoboard
6" x 6"

I also upgraded to higher quality boards. I'm going to need some time to get used to their qualities, but overall I'm very pleased with them. They are very absorbent and somewhat unforgiving when it comes to erasing lines, but I've always loved to work on hard surfaces. They are very durable and incredibly smooth.

So far, I've only used wooden surfaces on very large paintings. I'm now wondering why I waited so long to use these for my smaller works. Even though I love these new boards, I don't think I'll ever stop using regular canvas, especially the gallery wrapped ones. I love to keep painting all the way to the edges!

These little paintings will allow me to get in shape for the bigger, more realistic ones (which I'm still drawing!)... So far, the deadline seems unrealistic and borderline impossible! These will also represent a more affordable option for those interested in purchasing some of my work. I have added an eBay widget to the blog so you can always check what I have available.

Now, let's see how long it takes me to post the next painting!

EDIT: 09-08-2010, Widget has been removed until further notice

Close Ups, in progress...

Of course, I got sick during my school break, the only time I had to start these paintings. The deadline is near and my obligations pretty abundant, so I could not afford to wait. As promised, I will try to give regular updates and maybe I'll do one recap post at the very end of the project.

For this contest, I've decided to submit two paintings (well, one triptych and one single, so four canvases in total). They will feature two different kinds of Californian poppies. I will have three months at the most to finish these, which does sound reasonable, except for the fact that I'm about to start what will probably be my busiest school semester ever! And if that was not enough, I have been considering resuming my "One Day Paintings" on the weekends, probably in preparation for these larger paintings for the contest. At some point, I would like to film some of this and try to upload it here!

My guess is I won't be sleeping much!

Revisiting can sometimes be surprisingly refreshing.

A couple of weeks ago, I was varnishing my last finished set and could not help to stop and just stare at these paintings. After years of selling your artwork, you can say you get used to the fact that you are not supposed to keep them. For the most part, that is true.

And maybe it is not sentimental attachment what I feel when I look at these. I have learned to look forward to find that special someone who will think one of my works is worth not only purchasing, but keeping, displaying and contemplating for what I hope is a very long time. I think that this work in particular can be the beginning of something very good.

Every now and then I get this feeling that I cannot quite describe. I look at the finished piece, and it stands out in its own special way. More often than not, I can tell when the process of elaborating and developing a certain piece of work has significantly contributed in my growth as an artist and in the growth of my work as a whole. Yes, you do learn valuable lessons from every project and there's always a valid conclusion to be made from everything you do. But there are always special circumstances that enhance certain projects in such a way that you come out of them with a very big and unique sense of accomplishment.


This project in particular has helped conceive a new visual approach, because it is the continuation of what I have been doing so far:

• It builds on the use of multiple angles/points of view. 
• It allows me to deconstruct objects and introduce new meanings.
• It creates the opportunity for technical development.

Like I have said before, I have a very special relationship with these floral/still life paintings. I started studying Monet and Van Gogh's technique and still life paintings at a very young age. Many years later, I still find myself coming back to work with this wonderful subject, time and time again.

I have decided to work on these as a new series, in parallel with my contemporary project. I hope the accessibility of these images will help me finance my other, somewhat more obscure projects. I expect these "Close Up" paintings will evolve and go beyond the subject some day. But for now, I'm starting local and studying native Californian flowers.

I have conducted some research, taken lots of pictures and I am ready to start working. I will try to update the site more regularly. Perhaps posting progress regularly on individual paintings will work better than waiting until the piece is finished and posting one long article about it. Who knows! One thing is for sure, I'm about to take these to the next level.

And I just found about a painting contest that is about... flowers! So I'm pretty pumped and ready to put out my best work to date. Stay tuned, you won't regret it...

About Carbon Footprint and the Creative Process...

Jazz Trio, Pencil on Paper, 8.5 x 11 in. 2006

 

My sketching process has changed dramatically over the years. Even though I still use regular artist pads for sketching, lately I've been only using them to practice drawing. Most of my sketching these days is done on the computer, with the help of a digital tablet and image processing software.

Jazz Trio (cubist version), Pencil on Paper, 8.5 x 11 in. 2006

 
In the process,  I have managed to save a truckload of paper ;)... As a matter of fact, I can't remember the last time I bought paper! I have been using the stuff I already had and I'm not sure if I'm going to restock once I start running low.

Street Fighter inspired cartoon, Digital Media, 2007

 
While digital media is (and should be treated as) a whole monster on its own, I have found the technology has evolved so much, resembling traditional media is not impossible anymore. I'm in no way interested in replacing traditional materials, but I love how I can use computer applications to develop pieces of art that could not have been conceived otherwise. I also love how easily I can come up with variations of the same image and therefore broaden the possibilities of what I will ultimately paint.

And on top of that, if I get to be green and also save some green, then it all gets better.