GOING , GOING, GONE!

It seems the figure I was working on evolved right off the canvas. Many times! It took two days of push and pull to get myself warmed up to letting go of calculations and pestering questions about right and wrong. This morning I walked in painted off the old efforts and simply put down the lines that do not carry a burden of pre conceived ideas. Tomorrow looks promising.

In her book "The Creative Habit", Twyla Tharp says; "There's an emotional lie to over planning; it creates a security blanket that lets you assume you have things under control, that you are further along than you really are, that you're home free when you haven't even walked out the door yet."

FROM THE SKETCH TO THE PAINT

I would be curious what other painters feel as they are about to take on the canvas with brush in hand. For me it's often like standing on a very high diving platform. Stalling by fussing about before taking that deep breath.

Today I dove. This figure will evolve over the next weeks or few days with the hope I do not take away the movement in the gesture and bind her up with paint. Instead, she needs to soar.

WAKING UP THIS BLOG

Since last fall I have been collecting notes for this series of large canvases that focus on similar movements found in dance and sport.

Sketches are still happening since the football, soccer and volleyball practices observed last fall. Lately my subjects have been PSU women's basketball and Oregon Ballet Theatre rehearsals.

This 48"x72" canvas has just been started. The posted gesture popped up in both my PSU sketches as well as those from the dance floor at OBT. My self imposed project is turning out to be fun and full of wonderful challenges. I am at the wonderful mercy of what happens in front of me whether it be at practices and rehearsals or on canvas.