I’m writing this post after having a most unsatisfactory morning. I’ll elaborate some. Since it’s my job to take care of all the household chores, shopping, and meals, (I’m the artist who works at home) I consider it also my job to be concerned with the health of the people who live here. Everyone in every family has certain needs that have to be met and it falls on the person doing the house stuff to handle it, right? I think so. If someone here catches a cold I make the chicken soup. If someone needs more fiber in their diet, I work that out. I do my best.
Now, the hard part is when one family member balks at what I’m offering, and since I am the person with whom the responsibility lies, I am offended by said balking. Catch my drift? Look, we’re not talking babies here, we’re all adults. But from the reaction of one individual I could swear I saw a tantrum happening when I brought out the oatbran cereal rather than a bagel slathered with butter and jelly. Whatever.
As that person went on his way after getting his way, I vented in my morning pages and could have written a fourth page. Thank goodness for morning pages! After I was finished I came to start my day by reading emails and to write this post. I brought a nice hot cup of coffee with me to enjoy, which I promptly knocked over and dumped on the desk and in my lap! Great day ahead, I’ll say.
The bagpipe painting flat on the desk and wet
Having said all that and gotten it off my chest, let me share how the bagpipe painting is coming along. I decided to go for 15 minutes again, ignoring the non-working overhead lamp, and working on the dark background. I don’t like to use a tube of black paint because it’s too flat and has no depth.
It’s easy enough to mix a black with undertones of other colors. I’m still using the MaimieriBlu watercolors, but they don’t offer an Alizarin Crimson which I tend to rely on for some reason. They have some other color that’s similar, but not as deep, so I went for that and mixed with Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber. Nice and deep black. I used a large brush full of paint and applied it behind the figure.
After it dried a little bit I went back in with straight color mixing somewhat with the paint already down. As I’ve said before, my training in watercolor is minimal so I’m making it up as I go along. maybe it’s not how the medium is supposed to be used, but that’s the beauty of art and the process. You do what works and make it new and interesting.
The dry bagpipe painting upright on the easel
Later on I’m going to address that white area on the left hand side. When I printed this frame I thought it was an all black background. But looking closely I found that area was where the photo frame ended so I drew it in to break up the space. It’s part of the composition mirroring the large area on the right and I’ll answer that question with color. I naturally break up spaces this way in my work. Something inherent in my brain makes me think in shapes. I’ll go with it as usual.
Yeah, I’ll just go with it. Not like some other people who balk.
