I have some plans for a largish painting that will feature an abundant amount of red. I think about it often. The studio is set up for other things at present, so I have to finish those first. But for my “warm ups” I have begun doing small pictures that are very red.
It’s fun. It’s thrilling — to have a few bits of the much longed for experience. I love playing around with colors.
The painting at the top measures 9 x 12 inches. The lower on is 8 x 10. Both are painted with acrylics.
Sometimes the still life table becomes my three-dimensional planner. Things on the table remind me of tasks I need to do. The teapot needs to be revisited and the stripes and the compotier also — they need to become drawings — they need to be painted because they’re all going into the big painting. They will be parts of it.
And the picture of my parents reminds me of another painting that’s in the planning stage. I have a calendar, but the things are reminders too.
On the studio floor putting the one canvas atop the other helps me visualize how the bouquet would look in its vase and also anticipates how much space this arrangement will take up in the painting for which these are studies.
They come out bigger than I expected. So I’m not sure what I’ll do about that, whether I use this motif anyway or maybe make it a little smaller. The vase is a little farther away than other objects on the table. I am unsure how much smaller that would make it appear. Will have to wing it, perhaps.
Anyway, I thought this arrangement turned out interesting.
I like to think about stuff before I do it. I was the child always asking “are we there yet?” I am the one who cannot wait and must imagine it if I cannot just have it out-right right now.
Over morning tea I was thinking ahead that way. Traveling into the future with a pen and some wishful thinking.
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