They say in baseball, a battering average of .333 is pretty good. So today, I'm living by baseball standards. In my last post, I had decided to start three paintings at once so that if I was feeling stuck on one, I could distract myself with a different one and I'm glad to say it worked. My first choice ended up with a perspective problem that I just couldn't get comfortable with and so after playing around with the original plan then trying out a second idea, I finally had to just leave it alone and work on something else.
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| The original dock view for this did not look great once it was on the canvas. |
My second choice was a continuation of the Port of Ilwaco series and I was able to work on it from the original concept with only a couple of minor adjustments. I enjoyed this one as it had a larger number of boats at dock, each with their own individual shape and color but the palette was similar enough I didn't have to go crazy with different colors. I also spent more time on the reflections since they really made this a more interesting piece. What I found challenging with this, and for any paintings that have multiple crafts in them, is that I tend to want to paint each boat separately even if they are in reality just a speck of color in the background. There are times that I'll complete most of a hull or a wheelhouse (not in too much detail) just to paint over it with the layer of the boat in front of it. I guess it helps me realize the context of the shapes and how they fit together in the background even if you don't actually see most of them. The trawling arms and masts on this were also pretty interesting because there are several of them attached to boats in the background of which you don't see much of so making sure they were placed in right spots was a mental exercise.
Unfortunately, at the end of the painting, I had to re-teach myself a lesson. I like working with acrylics because of the speed at which they dry which usually means I can quickly move on another fore-layer without having to wait too long. The downside is that you have to work speedily when blending large areas where you want color or fading consistency. While I'm pretty comfortable with that, my impatience can still get the best of me which is when I made my big mistake. I'd been working on this one for a good chunk of the day and I knew that I was done except to sign it and varnish it. I signed it with my usual monogram using a mix of umber and cadmium red leftovers and added a bit of highlight and shade to make it pop and then...I didn't wait long enough. I thought the monogram was dry enough so I put it down on a flat table, poured some varnish over it, and when my brush hit the lower left corner, there were brownish-red streaks going out into the ocean like a little floating garbage patch. Stupid. At that point, I figured it was just best to sleep on it so this morning I did quick paint over job and re-signed it but with a much more boring tone to teach myself a little humility and patience. By the time I'm done writing this, it should be dry enough to retouch up the varnish but I'll give it another hour or so just in case. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the second in my Port of Ilwaco series.
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| Port of Ilwaco #2 - ver. MBM (More Boring Monogram) |
One last thing before you go. Like most artists, I presume, it's always more fun, productive, and creative when you're listening to music while you work. The last few hours I spent working on this were fueled by Father John Misty (She Cleans Up), First Aid Kit (Stay Gold album), and topped off with a bit of DJ Shadow feat. Run the Jewels (Nobody Speak) just for fun. The first two artists are pretty new to me and I just can't get She Cleans Up out of my head. First Aid Kit just has such a beautiful sound that I can say I've really enjoyed their entire album but they can also pack a punch with a very direct message (You are the Problem Here [Expletives]) about sexual assault.
