Diss-Guise

Diss-Guise   watercolor   13x 10

 

Reboot

Reboot   watercolor   10 x 13

Nothing is a more lively still life subject than an old pair of boots or shoes that still hold the forms of the wearer's feet! After all, Van Gogh did it, right?

My subject is a thrifted pair of Fiorentini Baker boots that I have worn for many years.  These are the boots that are so comfortable that you don't notice them at all.

After exploring a multitude of ways  to arrange 2 boot shapes in the picture plane, I settled on this, which seems to created a circular movement to me.  I am a layerist.  Layering paint creates complex color, complex neutrals specifically, as well as a feeling of the passage of time.  Pure sparkling watercolors are not my thing.  At one point, the color was actually "power washed" in my basement laundry tub.  This procedure removes paint, disrupts the surface and creates texture as well as SURPRISES!  (Note:  I never scrub or touch the surface.  The force of the water as it hits the surface can be controlled by the amount of water used as well as your fingers over the nozzle.  

I am pleased and feel that my  intentions were achieved.

Ode to Dangling

Ode to Dangling   oil/canvas   20 x 16 x .5

 "Having your feet on solid ground", "being grounded"...those phrases indicate a sense of safety, of certainty.  OK.  Opposing those are thoughts of flight, of taking off, of uncertainly...but including thrills, newness, and a willingness to try the untried.  In this case, our young daughter is trusting and feeling the excitement, the exhilaration of  the lift-off.  That, to me, is an indication of spirit, of braveness.

This composition was severely pared down to its essential elements of the group gesture.  Two adults are leaning outwards to support the weight of the adventurous child.  For me, this scene was burdened by the woods, the hiking path and the horizon line.  The gesture resembles the letter M.  Simple. Sweet.  Simply read.  Impasto strokes add to its simplicity. The shared colors and strokes support the sharing of the moment.  This painting was an adventure to me, as well.  

The beauty of flight.  I am pleased.