So I've had this bathing suit piece sitting in my studio since, oh, July.
It started ok, but quickly lost momentum, and eventually got bogged down in an ugly spot. The only thing that looked good were the midnight blue rings. Raindrops, puddles from a sprinkler perhaps? So, I put it aside, face against the wall as I worked on other things. Yesterday, the time had come, I put it on the table, and started painting over the ugly bits.
You hear lots of different advice on getting out of a painting rut, but my preferred tactic is to paint my way out. I am an intuitive painter. By that I don't mean, I just "follow my heart, and let paint fly." It's more of a process of adding and subtracting, working with the limitations set by the piece, the limitations set by the last decision. And somehow, it just comes together. Buried in the red background is an octopus. and the girl doing the cannonball? After several months of not really painting anything remotely realistic, all I had to go on was, "Gee, I wonder if I can still do this."
Being a full time artist, living this life, travelling across the country in hopes of a good show. It's always a leap. Sometimes you just have to tuck your legs up and go.
Oh, and "Leap" finally gave my new direction a title.
Brave Girls, Bad Girls, and Bad Girlfriends.
Coming soon.
Leap
20"x 24"
Vintage bathing suit, acrylic, and linoleum block prints on canvas.
Framed $895
