Since residency, I have dedicated the first 6 weeks of the semester to working on my painting technique. I began by reworking some of my older oil paintings from last semester, paying attention to flesh tones and using glazing. Here are two oil paintings after glazing. The originals can be see further down on my blog.
Continuing my desire to work on my painting technique I decided to challenge myself with portraits of women in the yachting industry, as the portrait has always been something I have struggled with. I tried a grisaille and glazing technique new to me and have really fell for the process. I am looking forward to working in this way with my large scale paintings.
After meeting with my mentor, Dana Clancy, she suggested that I try working from life and painting from life rather than using pencil and painting over my pencil marks. These timed poses are done in goache, a medium Dana suggested I use while abroad in the UK and to do painting sketches.
Keeping a large sketchbook, I decided to really explore my feelings about the ocean as a powerful masculine landscape. Preparing for working waves into my large scale work I explored abstractly all the times the ocean has genuinely made me afraid for my life.
Again working in goache (and in the case of the ropes, ink and bleach) here are my beginnings of documenting the objects I see and moments remembered while working and being around women in the marine industry. I have chosen the pink backgrounds to continue my exploration of flat space and the packaging of women.
And just for fun here is my version of 'The Shape of Water' meets Judith and Holofernes.