Portugal Through My Eyes: Évora #1

I am notorious for my obsessive photo-taking while on vacation (and any other time), and loyal to my fame I took dozens of photos in Portugal. OK, more like a dozen hundred of them, and then some. And maybe a bit more.

Don't give me this look! All those white washed houses, the laundry, the people sitting on benches, the tiles, the mosaic on the streets, the people, ahhhh the people! I had to document it, didn't I?

The down side of such an overwhelming amount of photos is that when I approach this stash in desire to paint from them, um... what do I paint first? So, since I was grounded at home wallowing in viruses and tea cups, I strolled through the photos trying to pick one.

Or two.

. . . Or ten.

Now, when it comes to painting Portugal, you cannot avoid painting some architectural elements, which I absolutely dread, to say the least. Y'see, I do figurative work; people, figures, faces, hands - all made of glorious curves and odd shapes and lost edges and beautiful flowing rounded surfaces. Architecture has straight lines. That is, linear, and as The JohnnyB would happily attest (with a deep, deep sigh) - I am not a linear person. So how can I paint linearly?

And yet, should one just stay in one's comfort zone forever and not travel at all to other domains, as challenging as may be?

I decided to start simple. My first candidate was a photo I took in Évora, a wonderful bustling town about 2 hours east of Lisbon. This town has an impressive main square (Praça do Giraldo) with a mighty church (Igreja de Santo Antão) and a 1570 Renaissance fountain (fonte Henriquina) with eight jets that represent the eight streets leading into the square (al uphill, as our sore muscles soon found out...). Hmm, now that I am shamelessly using Wikipedia to show off with all that knowledge I did not have while in Évora, I also see that this square has witnessed thousands of Auto de fes during the period of the Inquisition; 22.000 condemnations, it seems, in about 200 years.

OK then... maybe it's a good think I did not paint this square.

But I digress (told you I'm not linear!).

So, instead of all this glory, I chose to paint a humble mundane scene that I took on one of the streets while I was walking and getting hopelessly lost (Oh but what a town to get lost in).

I started it at 5pm yesterday (very early for me, as I usually begin painting when normal people go to sleep), and was done several hours later.

Being so different than what I usually paint, I was actually having a ball, until it reached the stage when it looked terrible.

But rather than give up, I remembered that while diamonds may be a girl's best friends, a girl who's a painter can find a true kinship with (watercolor police, please turn your heads away, just this time) white gesso and the magic sponge, which I used to cover some lame areas and add some texture to the whole thing.

Y'know?

Architecture is kinda fun to do!

But before I tackle it again, I feel a deep urge to do a portrait in order to relax in my comfort zone.

Acrylics Alert!

Haven't disappeared. Just took a break, turned 46, and - actually been painting.

The kind of painting that takes forever.

No, it's not the procrastinated commission (the deadline is June-ish, so of course I am doing everything I can to not do it yet...). Been working on a new painting that was marinating in my mind for a while; a new style, new medium, new support - and it's having countless iterations.

When I brought it to the two critique groups I belong to, there was a multi-shock effect by me working in acrylics (Nava? Acrylics?) on a relatively nice-sized (Nava?? Big??) canvas (Nava??? Canvas???) with relatively cheery colors (OK, you get the idea...).

There is something very freeing in trying somethign new. Plus, after almost 2 years of intentionally avoiding the use of purely line (I was forcing myself to learn more about shapes), it feels sooooooooooooo good to be back in my comfort zone and play with line like there's no tomorrow.

So - here it is, acrylic on canvas, 24"x24" (hey, stop snickering! To me, that IS big!). Not yet titled, still unfinished, yet to be reworked and metamorphose until I'm happy with it. You are more than likely to see it again in its next stage.

It seems to stir up some serious emotional responses - I wonder what's yours.

Acrylics (yes, me!) on Canvas (yes!!)

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman?

These days, my sister is going through our parents apartment in Jerusalem. (No, not New Jerusalem, OH... the original Jerusalem. Like, the real one).

A long process of sorting through everything, keeping what needs to be cherished and saying goodbye to the rest.

It's highly emotional, and a big part of letting go.

Being here, I only participate over the phone and emails.

She tells me of things she found, making my memory work overtime trying to remember what they are and what they look like; the smell inside that gorgeous commode(*) where all the snow-white linen sheets were stored; that huge purple crystal bowl that was used only once. The dancing doll (whom I used to call Wilhelmina, for some peculiar reason) with the key in her back; that black and orange dress of my mom; the square bottle of ma'zahr (essence of orange blossom) that my father used when he made his incredible desserts . . . oh yes, nostalgia rules.

From time to time, my sister scans something she found and surprises me with it: old photos that suddenly bring everyone back, alive and well; a letter from my high school informing my parents that I have miserably failed the Chemistry test (that one gave her so much joy I was concerned for her health!).

And today, this awaited in my Inbox: a drawing by moi, from 37 years ago.

I was in third grade, and apparently very proud of this work, as I clearly state the date (Gregorian and Hebrew, and in mom's handwriting, the Roman way of writing it), the grade I was in and the fact that it was done at the lighting of the eighth candle of Hanukkah, at our neighbors place.

Oh yeah, and I have signed it.

Not sure whether it's a self-portrait, and who I am in this masterpiece: the beheaded curly one at the bottom-left? the one with the cute dimples at the top right? or perhaps the cheery hobbit next to my signature?? whatever the answer may be, it's quite apparent that I was into figurative art even as a budding artist. Mostly faces. With a big emphasis on eyelashes.

A note to (my 8.5-year-old) self: good combination of text and images, decent balance achieved by filling up the space. Nice edge variety, and intriguing cropping of the poor torso-less figure up above. Also, interesting overlap of the dimpled diva whose legs become the features of the face underneath. Need to pay more attention to design (I'm guessing it's grid composition here?), try some lost edges here and there, and consider a wider spectrum of expressions.

Bids, anyone?


(*) The JohnnyB insists that 'commode' in American English means toilet(!???). Well, here it's meant as a chest of drawers. I go with the British on this one!

More Gazing

This is becoming frightfully repetitive, those models who pierce the classroom space with their bored eyes.

I am not complaining. Not really. Not sure what I'd do if I had to sit in the same pose for 3 hours, but for us class takers it kills inspiration, again and again.

Or does it?

Last week, at figure class, it was portrait time again. This time we had Paul, a guy with quite an ordinary face and a beret-like hat. Nothing exciting.

And yes, he just sat there. Gazing, as you'd expect.

We had 3 hours, and I was bored out of my mind to begin with, so I started off with just rendering his features, slouching in my chair and waiting for the time to pass. I just did them nonchalantly, holding my eyes wide open with my fingers in a desperate attempt to not fall asleep. What I felt towards this model was also reflected in the colors I chose. Did I mention sheer lack of excitement?

Another look at the clock - but I could swear someone has used Superglue on its hands. Time froze, the earth thawed, glaciers melted, penguins gently simmered in the hot-tub-like water - and Paul sat there, gazing.

To add to it all, he looked so much like someone I really, Really, REALLY loathe. I mentioned it to MembieM and CrystieG and they nodded in pity.

After I'd done 4 portraits of this guy, and as always happens when you paint the same subject several times and get to a point when you just wonder why - - - madness took place. I got angry. I got tired of this fancy faced model who sat there basking in the light of the lamp, looking so, so... beige.

My patience came to an end. I pulled out a set of vibrant watercolor brush pens that are probably non-archival and unprofessional - but I couldn't care less at that stage.

I lost all control, and started to have fun for the first time in that session.

Those who sat next to me got all excited at the fun colors (yeah, by now you may have guessed that everyone was reaching for the browns, not just me).

The teacher was doing his walks amongst us, complimenting everybody and raving about their work in extreme superlatives. When he saw mine - he came to a screeching halt, and then proceeded to the others. He was horrified, to say the least, which amused me a lot.

And then, after that got out of my system, I could move on to a more peaceful piece. After all, it wasn't the model's fault that he resembles someone I dislike, right?

This last one was sheer joy. Using one of those fun multicolored pencils, I let it do its own thing, used line to define shapes and kept restating rather than fixing or erasing, which added a sense of energy. The teacher? Ah, he was almost in tears... finally I came up with something that he absolutely loved. He couldn't take his eyes (and hands) off the drawing, and declared "This is your best drawing in this class".

I am not sure I agree with him, but I do like it.

iLaptop!!!

Some of you loyal readers who have been following this blog for the last year or so, have no doubt shed a tear (or two) when reading about our adventures with Dell and Microsoft.

From the dramatic demise of our old laptop that perished with a blow in my lap, to the quest for a new one, to the saga of the desktop who followed suit by committing suicide - - - and much, much more.

Yes, it's true that we got an almost-new laptop for free from Dell, but in the last couple of months, it started to show desire to join its brother in the laptop Heaven. Let's just say that staring at a frozen screen and having to reboot it several times a day has become an ordinary scene in our house. And, when this happens while reading email or browsing the internet (which, if I may say so myself, are relatively traditional ways to use a laptop), this can get to you. It sure was getting to my sense of humor.

And so, at the best of times, when economy is going for a forced landing, we found ourselves in need for a new laptop.

Several weekends ago, The JohnnyB mysteriously said, "do you trust me to buy a laptop?".

Now, y'all probably know by now that to know that The JohnnyB has many talents, but poker face is not one of them (in fact, he's almost as bad as LimaB - it's a tough call between these two). So it took me about 15 seconds to figure out he's going for real novelty this time.

And so, after many debates and considerations, after taking several weeks to decide whether we really want to make such a major step (with reboots galore along that time), I suddenly got an email from DiploK, about a special crazy deal on Apple laptops that are not the blow-your-socks-off-new-aluminum-unibody-multi-touch-glass-trackpad. As in, $400-$500 off.

OK, all we want is a good functioning laptop whose most useful button is not the reboot one. And because the evenings are getting cold, we don't necessarily want our socks knocked off. So this email came in the perfect timing.

Decision took place within 10 minutes.

We ordered on Sunday, and on Tuesday(!!!) afternoon, FedEx has knocked on the door and handed me this beauty: The Apple MacBook Pro! And it's gloriously silvery, not at all the white I was fearing.

Will this lead to a whole new saga?

- - - Will this bring The JohnnyB back to blogging after over a year of silence?

We shall see.

Color!!!

As I mentioned last week, spring is in the air. We've had some gorgeous days, and now it's cooling down again. Still, there's a lot of bloom, the neighborhood birds are coming up with new CDs and everything feels, well, different.

Which is probably why I suddenly got fed up with my usual colors. As you probably know, I often paint with a lot of neutral colors and subtle hue changes, with hardly any intense pure bright colors. If you had to make a list of 5 painters you know who paint cheery paintings, I bet my name would not come up. Come to think of it, if the list was supposed to have 50 painters, the result would not change.

But the last week I was tired of all that. I wanted to reach for the oranges, the yellows, the reds, even considered the pinks (ahhhhh, the horror!) - all the warm colors that sit in my drawer and look at me with big eyes full of deprivation and sorrow each and every time I go for the blues (pun intended).

I was also kinda annoyed that I did not get to paint for a while, as I was busy with the show I helped organizing and hanging, plus other stuff that needed to be done for our organization - I wanted to bloody paint!!!

I do have a painting in the making, but it's yet another somber one, and I just didn't feel like agonizing over it (plus, it's my first painting that involves hands, and they are quite challenging, so it did not contribute to a cheery state of being).

So, last evening, I just went for it. Just for fun. Decided to work from a photo sent to me by Dinush whose portrait I painted last month. The photo is of the conductor of the choral group in which my sister and Dinush sing in back in Israel. This image was stewing in my mind for a couple of weeks; not only does it have a wonderful light pattern, I was also captured by the attitude and the posture. I also want to start doing more figures and go beyond the face.

As I pulled the tubes of long-forgotten warm colors out of the drawer, they blinked against the light (poor things, they are so used to the cozy darkness of my art cabinet). I did a very simple drawing, and started to have fun with color. Worked without a break for about 3 hours, during which The JohnnyB came home, made lasagna from scratch (as in starting with flour, water and eggs for the pasta itself - that kind of scratch!!), took a break for dinner, and proceeded to work on it till about 2:30am. It was the kind of painting that just kept happening and told me what needs to be done next. I couldn't just leave it in the middle and go to sleep. That would just be impolite.

I painted it on Tyvek - I am finally starting to get the hang of this surface, discovering the good and the bad with every new painting I do on do, and falling in love with it each and every time. It keeps challenging me, never ceases to surprise (for better and worse), prevents me from getting too tight and forces me to find new creative solutions to the problems that arise during the painting, making sure there's never a dull moment while working on it. All that, while proving this incredible texture - What more can you ask for?

When I showed the painting to The JohnnyB, he said with sheer astionishment "I love the colors!". I don't think I've ever used such vivid colors in a painting without toning them down. Our critique group responded with similarl shock, and then came up with a petition that I continue to paint with bursting color. Well, I had such fun painting like this, I think I just might do that occasionally.

Salvation

Not a new painting, but rather a rescued one.

This one has made quite a journey along the Via Dolorosa... starting as quite pristine clear washes (well, very pristine for my usual style!) through a miserable correction attempt that led to a valuable lesson and then to a frantic quest of salvaging it - I think it is now done.

I brought it to our critique group on Thursday, and the responses were positive. The 3 group members who were following the saga on my blog said that had they not been clued in on the turmoil, they wouldn't even know there was a problem with it. LimaB even called me after the meeting to file an official request that I do not touch that painting, as it is really a good one.

"Please, PLEASE don't touch it, Nava", she pled, knowing the power of my self-destructiveness.

Well, needless to say, I did go into it today with a brush (sorry, LimaB), but just to add some very final touches, which I actually think have improved it. Now the left cheek is not a flat surface, but finally has form.

So, counting my losses: I have lost the clean washes of pure color, and some of the white of the paper.

But - I managed to maintain the white shape, as well as most of the shapes in the painting and the pure color in the important parts. For someone who is not a shape painter, with a chronic tendency to dull all the color - this is a MAJOR achievement!!

And, I have gained a lot of fun, as in my rescue attempts, I got into the careless mode, so I allowed myself to used some stamping and gouache, which add depth and interest. And let's not forget that this incident inspired a sentence of the month post.

Bottom line - I think this final version is much more a "Nava" painting, and it does capture the essence of the person much better than the clear cheery one. Hmm... does that mean I actually need to thank The JohnnyB? Or is it my natural inclination to take an OK painting and bring it to a point of disaster so I revive it and take it beyond? Ah well, that's just too profound for a lazy Saturday afternoon...

Ode to Teachers

I'm almost recovered from the intensive and extensive 5-day workshop, and have some time to breathe. I got several comments on the breakthrough I've made at the end of the workshop. Retrospecting on the experience, I did get a lot from it: using shapes to create interest and introduce abstraction to realistic paintings, applying value bridges to achieve gradation and softness. Also, I am notorious for being the master in knocking back bright colors, and I think this workshop has finally convinced me to spare some of the color and leave it pure, so it can sing among all the neutrals. (and yes, color can sing! All you need to do is listen).

So, a big part of it is thanks to the tedious process of exactly following the rules that John Salminen gave us, and doing his process, step by step, grunting and hair-tearing included.

However - around the second day of the workshop, I realized that if I hadn't taken Mike Bailey's 'Watercolor Beyond The Obvious' class (twice!!), I honestly don't think I would have gotten all the things that John Salminen was teaching. Looking around at the workshop, you could easily tell those of us who went through Mike's class (which also comes with its share of hair tearing and being kicked out of your comfort zone), from those who didn't; the latter looked utterly puzzled and didn't quite know what to do with all that knowledge that was so generously showered upon them.

So Mike - I know I've said it to you many times, but it's never enough:

THANK YOU!

This class you're teaching is truly, utterly and absolutely invaluable! And the fact it keeps proving itself over and over again, even more than a year after I took it, speaks for itself. OK, now you can go blush at your convenience.

Y'see, sometimes, when the rain is plenty but the soil is too dry, the abundance of water form paddles or flow away rather than penetrate, enrich and bring new growth. It's the same with art (and many other domains). The more you know, the more you can absorb additional knowledge. And once you found a really good teacher - you don't let go. You take the same classes over and over again.

'cause even if the class is the same, you are different. Each time you start from a higher place; things you already know get deeper meanings and connect with other bits of knowledge; things that were Greek to you suddenly click and make sense - and your level of knowledge is spiraling upwards. And this is what growing is all about.

I consider myself very lucky to have found several such teachers (four, so far). Now, if I only had the time to be a frequent taker of their classes...

And, to two of these teachers (who are actually closer to being mentors!) who read my blog, Mike and WackieM: I often wonder if you are aware of the impact you have, and I think it would be so cool if one day I could be the same to some artist who's doing his or her first steps in the ocean of creating.

A friend from my hi-tech past once asked me, "you are taking this class again??? Why? did you fail it last time?".

Quite scary to think that I also used to think like this only 5 years ago...

All Good Things Come to an End

The workshop is over. As always, mixed feelings of "I am finally free to paint on my own!!!" and "Ah, I wish it lasted a bit more".

The last day started with a demonstration of how to paint a reflective surface - in that case, John Salminen painted a quarter sheet of a rainy street scene. He just did his magic, and did a pretty cool little painting.

We then proceeded to work on our paintings, continued to a potluck lunch, in which w'all sang "Happy Birthday" to John, who kept his cool and went for the startled-yet-amused look. He blew out the candles and shared the birthday cake with us.

Then came the last part of the workshop: the dreaded critique session.

Each of us put their painting of the easel. Since there were 18 of us, we had to pick only one painting per artist: either the abstract on which we worked for 3 days (some of us kept working on it until the every last moment today), or the piece we did to incorporate the lessons into our own style.

While it would have been nice to get my nonobjective one critiqued, it was more important for me to get feedback on the one that is closer to what I would paint after the workshop. Especially since I was struggling with it. During the morning, I tried to figure out why the portrait does not work. One of the workshop participants came by and commented that it's the colors I used - and she was right. It's true that once you have your value pattern right, it doesn't matter what colors you choose. However, since I was not just going for likeness, but rather tried to capture John's essence and personality, the colors I was using were just wrong; they were too vivid, too sweet, too obvious. in the 5 days we got to know him, I got the impression that John is a complex deep person, which calls for more subtle, neutralized colors. Lime green and orangey pink totally do not describe him! Plus, the background was way too distracting. So, I said G'bye to the intense colors that were in his face (to the horror of a couple of the participants) and started to go over them with more, shall we say, manly colors. I then toned down the garish background that was fighting for attention, and it was starting to look much, much better!

When it was up for critique, after come inevitable self-diminishing comments from John about his looks (mind you, he's quite a looker!), he gave his comments about my painting - and I could finally breathe... It is so intimidating to have someone look at a painting of himself, but since John is an artist, he was not concentrating on the likeness nor sued me for making his face fatter than it is (can you say Ernest Hemingway?...). I was very happy with his comments, especially when he glorified the lost edge of the face in the white shape, complimented me on the rich neutral colors and said - listen to this - that the painting has luminosity.

Luminosity!?

Never, ever, has a painting of mine been connected with this word. (When I shared this bit of his critique with WackieM, she almost fainted laughing - see, she knows my work!). Apparently, these value bridges and shapes had a major impact on me. I usually just blend everything together, and pretty much avoid shape. John Salminen is the first instructor who managed to make me paint shapes rather than a big blur of colors and then lines. And y'know something? shapes are so much fun!!!

So, this is where the painting's at right now. It still needs some work on the face (The JohnnyB demands that I fix his protruding forehead and transplant hair on his bare temple...), it screams for some major work on the background - but I am starting to like it. (go to the buttom of the previous post to see the updated slideshow).

oh, Oh, OH - almost forgot!!! while we were having lunch, John stood up, announcing there's one bit of business that needs to be taken care of. He asked the workshop coordinator to pick a number between 1 and 18.

"16", she said.

"Number 16 gets the demo painting", he smiled, checked the list in his hand, and added, "Number 16 is - - - Nava".

And so, I am the owner of a John Salminen painting!!!

How.
- - - - --- Very.
- - - -- - - - - - - - - - Cool!!!

And now I feel indebted. I promised John that when I manage to paint a good portrait of him, I will send it. Like, painting exchange. OK, OK, so he is John Salminen and I am only Nava, but still!

Of course, when The JohnnyB came home and was promptly asked which of the three paintings is his favorite, he pointed at the painting that I won. Story of my life.

OK then; still a long way to go...

...and yet - as I was hoping in the first day, quite a bit has rubbed off. That was one great workshop - went for it with very high expectations, and - - - they were actually met!

Stepping Away from The Madonna

I love the gold gesso version of MistyN I did last week. I really do. And yet, I kinda felt it had a religious feel to it. To prove my suspicion, JimmyB commented, "For me, it evokes a Madonna-esque quality". WebbieM even congratulated me on entering my "religious period".

OUCH!

That is exactly what I did not want. I have nothing against such paintings, but it was not my intention. I wanted to capture the moment, the expression, the light... I agree the pose lends itself to Madonna-ish associations, but I want to take a road less traveled.

So, loyal to WackieM's challenge, I tossed the dice again. Came up with a yellow (Cadmium Yellow Deep), a red (Permanent Red) and a blue (Cerulean Blue). Ahhhh - an obvious color triad, AGAIN!!

"Oh no!", I exclaimed to The JohnnyB who tried to point out that I am cheating by not going with what the dice had in store for me. "No way!".

Accompanied by his look of disdain, I threw the dice again, praying for a weird color combination. . .

. . . beware what you wish for!

There it was:
- Permanent Green #1
- Cobalt Violet Light
- Douchrome Cactus Flower!!! (yup, I have such a paint tube; in my defense - for the horrified artists among you - I bought it at a moment of weakness; it looked gorgeous on the supplier's website! I am only human!!).

Oh.

- - - My.

- - - - - - God.

The JohnnyB, seeing my expression, snickered "Happy now?", and went to gloat in the living room.

Well, I did say I want a wacky combo, right? so now it was time to pick up the gauntlet and the hideous combination of paints. Again, I couldn't resist the urge, and started a painting at 10:30pm, totally at loss as for what do I do with such colors!

And then I realized that when you get kicked out of your comfort zone, you just have to activate your brain, get creative, go beyond, push the envelope and other clichés.

I did.

"Cactus Flower", Watercolor W/N CP Paper, 11" x 10"

From Thanksgiving to Hanukka

...and I continue skipping between Sam and MistyN.

WackieM has come up with a new challenge for this month: paint any subject, using only 3 colors. Interesting - but wait! you don't get to choose the colors, but actually let fate make the decision. As she put it, "Any subject, any style but you are limited to 3 colors plus black and white. The way you select the three colors is the fun part. On separate slips of paper, write down each of your watercolor tubes of paint and put them in a jar. Shake it all up and then pull out 3 slips of paper. Those are your colors to work with."

Now... I shamefully admit that I have over 100 watercolor tubes (and that is without the 50 crappy ones I got when I just started painting and a smart store owner managed to sell them to me, promising "They are second to none". Yeah, right...). So, with the suggested method, I would never get to the actual painting!

The JohnnyB heard my outcry, and suggested to use dice. Apparently, the man has a 12-sided dice and an 8-sided one, which makes it easier. Since my paints are kinda sorted by hue (the blues live together in one drawer, the reds reside in a another - and so on), I went through some complicated mathematical calculations, throwing one dice to choose the drawer, and then another toss to select the color. Took some left-brain thinking - and these muscles are now sore.

This challenge came just in time, as I was trying to figure out which colors to use for painting MistyN.

Voila - no need to think anymore. The dice has spoken: Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Violet and Organic Vermilion (which is an orangey red, highly toxic; I shall not lick my brush this time).

I went for the first attempt, using these three colors, plus black to create some darks. Both Cobalt Blue and Ultramarine Violet are wimpy when it comes to getting dark values, and the black helped create some very cool darks for the background and shadows.

Thing is - there was nothing really exciting about the colors, as these are colors I may have normally used for a portrait anyway! WackieM kept getting wacky colors for her challenges, as did LimaB, which forced them to push the envelope - and all I had was this usual combo.

Which made the painting a bit too ordinary. Yes, nice light pattern, almost a candle-lit mood, but - I wasn't thrilled about it.

I almost decided to give up on the subject. Painting young beautiful women is always a challenge - their faces are too precious to mess up with. Plus, I usually go for lines or texture in my paintings - and young faces do not have either. I was about to sadly depart from the gorgeous photo I took at the Thankgiving dinner and move on to another subject.

But then, The JohnnyB came to the rescue, and got a lot of credit points!

"What do you expect?", he asked, "This is your first attempt at painting her! Of course you are being cautious and just trying to copy what you see".

With this alibi in mind, and with WackieM's encouragement to explore this further and maybe try different surfaces to work on, I suddenly remembered the gold gesso I bought a couple of years ago, and used it only once, with disastrous results.

I decided to give it another go. I smeared the gesso over watercolor paper, created some texture with the brush and with some stamping, and let it dry.

"I'll paint on it tomorrow", I promised myself.

"Maybe", sneered my procrastinating self.

Then I went to look for Hanukka candles, as we only have 4 left from last years. Couldn't find any, anywhere!!

Later that evening, The JohnnyB lit the candles (improvised ones, that actually look quite cool!!) in his charming desecrating manner. I went into my studio, looked at the gessoed paper - - -

- - - and 4 hours later, I was gazing at an almost finished painting. I just could not resist the urge.

Ahhh, what fun! Not only did the gesso create a very forgiving surface that enabled lifting and correcting, it also lent itself to creating wonderful textures.

I tried to stick with the challenge colors, but then figured that by using gold gesso, I am already introducing a fourth color, and thus am not sticking to the rules anyway. So I changed the red to a different one, and later used more intense blue and violet to add some darks.

And so, with no further ado, here is my second attempt:

"Thankgiving", Watercolor and Gold Gesso on W/N HP Paper, 14" x 10"

It's looking very good next to the Hanukka candles - almost as if they are the source of light!

SOLD!!!

I wanted to paint.

I really did.

Honestly.

I even had the time.

But I didn't. Instead, I spent some quality time with my mat cutter, on the quest of cutting a double mat for a little bozzetto that I like a lot. A personal favorite, which I consider a breakthrough.

I measured twice - and once more for luck, while cursing the imperial system and its evil eighths and sixteenths of an inch that were lurking in every corner. (Are you ever gonna convert to the sane, metric system, people?!?). Using all my fingers, my tongue stuck out and my self confidence sliding down, I finally managed to cope with the calculations, feeling as incompatible as I ever did.

When I got to the cutting itself, I took special care to make the cuts flawless and clean.

I really wanted it to look perfect.

After all, it is not every day that I mat the very first painting I've ever sold!!!

Who'd have thought that this little painting would intrigue so many people, causing them to try and guess what's the story behind it? It was truly fascinating to witness all the interpretations, that went from nocturnal strangulation(!) through saving from drowning to a woman taking off her mask as she goes to sleep, no longer having to pretend.

Only one of my blog readers actually got what I really painted. A week later, she informed me she wants to buy it - and tomorrow it will be FedExing its way to her.

She claims she is very excited about this. Well, not as much as I am. It's a huge compliment when a person wants to own an artwork of yours. HUGE!

It's so encouraging, so rewarding to know that what you put on paper has touched someone to that extent - and at the same time, it's quite hard to part from it.

Which is why I am so glad it's going to a good home - - - Blogauthor and Wheeler, hope you enjoy it!

I believe I can now be considered a professional artist. And I wonder - can I say I have a patron? :-)

Bedtime Story

I am trying to accept the fact that this may be a very small step for the art world. And yet, this little painting is a giant leap for me.

I love doing figures. I am fascinated by faces, people, stories.... but I have never, ever, dared to create a painting that has more than one figure in it. 'coz, like, what if I get one face or one figure right, and then totally screw up the other?
What then, eh?

With that, I knew I had to get over this silly hurdle. Yes, lone figures can have a compelling story, but a multi-figure painting automatically tells a story about the relationship between them.

And so, 3 days ago, I was relaxing a bit, watching one of my favorite British crime dramas ("Waking The Dead"), when I saw a scene that captured my attention. Something about the half-lit faces, the obscured features, the posture just wouldn't let go. I paused the show, did a quick drawing, and proceeded to render it with my long-forgotten cobwebbed watercolors.

At some point, it was quite beautiful, very fresh and one-breath painting. But, it wasn't done. Despite the beautiful clean washes I managed to achieve, it seemed flat, wimpy and lacking in personality.

Then, we had a surprise guest visit; someone with whom I used to work in Israel, and haven't seen for over 10 years. As he and The JohnnyB were talking work-related stuff, I got bored out of my mind, and at some point took the brush and kept working on the painting while still taking part in the conversation...

...not necessarily a very smart thing to do, as I overworked it. But, I managed to save it by darkening some areas, while keeping some of the pure hues (a major achievement for me, as I tend to always gray down any hint of color...).

Regardless of the end result (which I actually like), this may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship between me and paintings that are not limited to one single figure!

I was quite amused by the responses I got in our critique group - everyone came up with a story, asking questions about what's going on in the painting. Then, one of them said, "Never provide all the answers. Let the viewer try to figure it out". Since she's one of the smartest women I've ever met, I shall follow her advice...



* This painting was sold to Blogauthor.

ArtPact #32

(Originally published October 1, 2007).

There I was, trapped in a vicious circle. I had this incredible photo I took at the cafe, of the lady with the hat, trying obediently follow what I was taught: study the shapes and values, make a value plan - and I got stuck. I know it's supposed to be the right way to go, but every time I do this, it somehow drains the fun out of it. All of a sudden, creating a painting turns into a list of chores, of do's and don't-do's, which frustrates me beyond belief.

At times like this, I wonder whether I should just delve into careless painting, throwing all the rules aside, and get the first version out of my system. Perhaps then I can go back and work on it more methodically? Or, perhaps I am not quite the methodical painter? Could it be that value plans work for some artists, while others have other ways to get to a painting? Or, maybe there is no right and wrong? Why do birds sing? Do angels exist? What's the time?

And then, as I was getting into this destructive over-pondering mood, WackieM launched her online "class", which is what made her start a blog in the first place. As she puts it: "My blogger plan was to create challenges for myself and to encourage others to join in". She posted the first drawing challenge on Friday, and pretty much threw me a life vest. Now I had a distraction, an excuse to get out of my over-analysis whirlpool and follow her challenge, which was all about line. No values, no existential questions.

And so, I cheerfully dropped the hat and the lady, and took the gauntlet dropped by WackieM. Reverting to my comfort zone, I tried doing my self-portrait in that wire-drawing technique that she demonstrated. You basically draw as if you are creating a wire sculpture, allowing the wire to twist and wrap and bend. the only rule: all lines need to connect.

I am a line painter - to me, line is the best and most glorious design element. I love lines! and I mostly love open lines and lost edges that leave room for imagination. So, I thought it's going to be a trivial little exercise, but then I realized the challenge in it: wire drawing forces to connect all lines, and think of the necessity of each and every line. Working on a face, it also forced me into thinking of the planes of the face, rather than the features.

It was a wonderful exercise. I did a first drawing, loved the result, and decided to try and make it more minimal, getting just the essence.

Hmm... I got totally carried away, forgetting the goal of the exercise and just enjoying the process.
So much for minimalism on that one. Nice hair, eh?

And then, after I was done messing with my own face, I decided to get back to the lady with the hat. Something about her is haunting me, forcing me to paint her, and I see a series coming. These little drawings actually speak to me more fluently than the value plans I attempted here. I guess w'all speak different visual languages.

It still has a long way to go, a journey even, but - my enthusiasm is back! So, thank you, WackieM!

ArtPact #26

(Originally published on August 6, 2007).

After the sudden August winter we had here yesterday, the sun has graciously agreed to get back to its seat, allowing me to photograph my work.

As I lengthily stated in my previous post, I am back to my self portrait. I am working small, in 5"x7" bozzettos, sticking with the same image, but trying different techniques, color schemes and styles. The idea is to experiment in small quick studies, and apply lessons I learn to the following versions.

I am working from a photo of myself. One that I truly like, taken by The JohnnyB. It's a challenging one, as it was taken at night, with a flash - not recommended when you need a reference photo to paint from. But in fact, the lack of inspiring light pattern is forcing me to find ways to make the painting interesting, so it has its merits.

I started in my usual style, rendering the face, religiously following the photo and trying to copy what I see. After the first one, I tried to move on to more exciting pastures, but I got stuck on copying for the next three attempts. The result: four bozzettos that are not really bad, but are not good either. They are hesitant, the colors are far from exciting. And, the ultimate original sin: they are overworked, and not in a good way.

The watercolor medium is the ultimate snitch when it comes to overworking. "Na na na na na", the bloody pigments taunt in that annoying watery voice, "Nava re-worked this to death! Heh heh!! Again!!! Hi hi!!!! Too funny!!!!!".

I was getting angry.

- - And bored.

- - - - And frustrated.

And I think it shows in the paintings. I swear I can hear my painted image yawning, "C'mon, have mercy! you can't leave me looking like that!".

It was midnight when I muttered to The JohnnyB, "I hope I don't end up never wanting to do a self-portrait ever again!". I was tired, and yet, decided to do one last bozzetto, and just have fun. Squeezed fresh paint, choosing bolder, less sweet-looking colors, going for staining pigments, so I cannot lift and repaint, took the brush - - - and went into one of those the-hell-with-it modes of painting.

When I got back to my senses - I stared at the result, with sheer terror. 'coz I never, like, ever, painted this way!

And then (took me a a while!) I realized that, Uhm, I am really, y'know, liking it!

And, to my surprise, The JohnnyB liked it too, saying it's clean, confident and looks like I knew what I was doing. Perhaps this was one of those rare occasions when the hand was faster than the mind, and did whatever it felt like, while my left brain was watching with disgust, saying, "Oh, screw it! I'm off duty now!".

I went to sleep, very excited, got up (very excited!), looked at what I did at night - and gave it another, similar shot, just to see if I can do it in a post-coffee conscious state of being.

Apparently, I can. (the one on the left is the first one, the right one was done in the morning). Hey, I even gave myself a gorgeous pair of blue eyes as a reward!

Definitely a breakthrough, and just what Mike has ordered.

Now, the wonderful thing about hitting the wall of boredom and getting past it into creativity, is that your mind is starting to spawn more and more ideas, like some freakish alien.

I wanted to try them all - but I was starting to run out of paper.

So, I soaked and stretched four half-sheets of watercolor paper, and while waiting for them to dry, I decided to try something while they are still wet. I combined walnut ink (which I passionately love!) with a purplish ink, and had my way with both on a sheet of paper. That yielded some veeeeeeeeeeeery cool texture, which will become a painting some day (when I figure out what to do with it...).

"Hmm, I should try this on a bozzetto", I overjoyed, and reached, again, for the inks. Obviously, I failed to recreate the texture, but still got some beautiful backgrounds, on which I drew with a bamboo stick and a twig.

That resulted in an unusual level of fun - and these two:

Then I decided to revert to the safety of the monochromatic world, and thoroughly enjoyed doing this one:

T h e n -I tried painting on top of some text which I have transferred to the watercolor paper with Acrylic medium. Now, this medium changes the surface of the watercolor paper beyond recognition, so that the watercolor paint starts beading like crazy, and you end up pulling your hair and looking pretty much like the resulting image...

Hmm... interesting would be the right word for that one, Eh? Although, the more I look at it, it is starting to grow on me. It sure is expressive, and has some interesting modern-art looking potential. It's a known fact that good things can come out of accidents and alleged-failures. All I need to do now is practice saying "Oh, I meant to do that!", and define myself as an expressionist painter.

So: 10 bozzettos overall, and I already have two additional ones in their very early stage.

I am exhausted.

ArtPact #18

(Originally published on May 12, 2007).

"You are stalling", she said.

Y'see, after a lot of hesitation, I finally jumped in and did the first painting of La Sagesse. I was very intimidated, as it's a great photo and very easy to screw-up. So, NOT painting it would make sure I don't. But then again, I do want to paint it... Typical for a first painting - I guess there's no way to avoid this.

"I'll make several versions of it", I told myself and The JohnnyB, and went ahead with the first version. As expected, I turned out copying what I saw, clinging to the photo, trying to capturing every little bit that's in it, rather than creating my own painting from it.
It was frustrating, and I could not tell what's wrong with it, so I just stopped, and - being very frustrated - I decided I might as well have some fun, and did two in my sketchy-line style with some light washes, which I have recently started to explore. It was fun. Not yet what I want, but - it's also about enjoying the journey.

On Thursday I went to our critique group meeting. It was a very reduced-forum, only the three of us: WebbieM, RabkieM and myself. It was actually quite pleasant, and each of us ended up getting a lot of attention and critique of her work.
WebbieM nailed down what was wrong with my first painting: I was using hues & tints, and then tones.

OK, a quick lesson in color: 'hue' is pure intense color, out of the tube. 'tint' is the hue mixed with white or water to lighten its value, and 'tone' is the hue mixed with its complement to create neutral grays. Confused? Wait - let's also add 'shade', which is the hue mixed with black. Hues and tints tend to be more intense and bright and cheery, while tones and shades are tuned down, more grayish and a bit more moody. Somehow, all my paintings end up with tones and shades, and I keep trying to get to cheery, but that's not part of the lesson, and not what you are paying for.

So, I was using cheery hues and tints in the sky and ocean, while the figures and their shadows were all tones. Doesn't quite feel right. Then, RabkieM pointed out what was wrong with my sketchy one, and I was very grateful for their help.

After the meeting, I was telling RabkieM how weird it is that I cannot bring myself to paint portraits since I started taking WackieM's advanced portrait workshop, and instead I'm doing figures and other stuff.

RabkieM gave me a reprimanding knowing look and said, "You know what you are doing, don't you!?".

"What?", I asked with angelic eyes.

"You are stalling".

"Me? stalling?", I faked insulted astonishment (like, Duh...).

"Yes. I am only saying this because I do the same. It's just like doing the laundry or washing dishes or finding little house projects instead of painting. You should be working on your self-portrait, which is the homework we got from WackieM, not escaping to this beach scene!!".

Ah, I really hate it when people are right.

I went back home, and proceeded to work on the first La Sagesse painting, keeping in mind WebbieM's comment. Yup, the 'after' painting (the one on the right) looks more unified. Not quite a bright Caribbean beach, more like a beach on very hazy day, or at dusk, but hey - at least it has a consistent mood.

But RabkieM's words kept echoing in my head.

And so, the next evening, I decided that she really is right. A couple of weeks ago, The JohnnyB took a photograph of me in the same pose of the self portraits I painted from life at the workshop. I printed that photo, dug out all those tissue papers that I prepared a month ago, got the guts to finally tear them up (the first tear broke my heart, but once I got over it, I proceeded to slash them, pogrom-style) . . . . .

. . . . 4 hours later - I came up with this:

"Self-Portrait #3", Collage on matboard, 19"x16"

I was having soooooooooooooo much fun, it must be illegal in some states!!
And now I am hooked on collage!!

So - I owe a big, Huge, IMMENSE Thank You to RabkieM.

The Beach Boys can wait....