Thursday, July 9, 2009

Couples and Alcohol

I have been doing some paintings in pairs lately. I enjoy the narrative that happens in these dyptics. Trying to compose two paintings that work individually and together in color, composition, and subject. The current pair are shaped like stone tablets meant for chiseling commandments.



This grouping is a comment on the differences that exist between couples, shown here having a moment together over a drink. She is having a glass of Italian Wine. He is drinking cheap Cincinnati Burger Beer and smoking a cigar. Elements of her refined taste are infringing on his panel, while eventually the smoke from his cigar will waft through hers.

It is sort of an odd couple thing going on. His side being a bit more messy, and not as fancy.
I really had to stretch here, as I could not really work from experience. Both my wife and I are very fancy and refined.

Anyway, I thought I would post a few of the paintings to show the progression through out the week. The first is a bit of a mess, as I did this as a demonstration lay in for my Iowa workshop. It was not my best since I was talking too. It is difficult to do both well. I tried to show the girls that in the beginning it is about getting the likeness in color and value, keeping it loose so that drawing can happen later.

While it is a pair, I only laid in one of the panels for the group. This was done in about an hour.



Day two I laid in the second panel, and cleaned up the first panel.




Here it is next to the setup.



Day 3- an interesting note on this one- I wanted a lipstick print on the wine glass to do more than hint toward the feminine. No one else was around to do this for me, so I did it. I do not regularly wear lipstick, so it took me a while to get it on and then get a nice print on the glass. I think it turned out well, and while I am not proud about wearing ladies makeup, I am proud of how I painted it on the canvas.




As of today after 4 days. I will post the finished painting next. (hopefully I can get photos that are not blurry like these)

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Richard, I love the dichotomy of the two and intertwining of the elements to bring the painting into focus as one thought with different expressions.
Thanks for stating about "talking while working" - I tell my students that you can talk some, but if you talk while you are painting you can not do your best work. Glad you didn't make me a liar. :o)

Anonymous said...

I bet you kept the lipstick on... didn't you?


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