As discussed in the last post, I finally began to feel somewhat more confident making paintings. I took that confidence and moved forward to make some larger paintings. I also felt more experimental with color and let myself branch away from the mucky colors that got me started on the right track. Below are images of the seven larger paintings I made towards the end of my residency.
Not Yet Titled #1
Acrylic, polyacrylic on maple plywood
16″ x 16″ x 1″
2010
Not Yet Titled #1
Acrylic, polyacrylic on maple plywood
16″ x 16″ x 1″
2010
#1 shown above is clearly an outlier in the work I made in Vermont. While it is loosely responsive to the wood grain, the black form is more independent than anything else I had made to that point. When I look back on the use of black, I believe I was thinking about the work of Don Voisine. It just so happens that a painting of his is on the wall behind me now as I write this in our family room. I really like the way this piece turned out. It’s one of my favorites from VSC.
Not Yet Titled #2
Acrylic, polyacrylic on maple plywood
16″ x 16″ x 1″
2010
Not Yet Titled #2
Acrylic, polyacrylic on maple plywood
16″ x 16″ x 1″
2010
Not Yet Titled #3
Acrylic, polyacrylic on maple plywood
16″ x 16″ x 1″
2010
Not Yet Titled #3
Acrylic, polyacrylic on maple plywood
16″ x 16″ x 1″
2010
Not Yet Titled #4
Acrylic, polyacrylic on maple plywood
16″ x 16″ x 1″
2010
Not Yet Titled #4
Acrylic, polyacrylic on maple plywood
16″ x 16″ x 1″
2010
#4 above was picked out by one of the visiting artists as definitely their favorite piece in my studio. While I think it is interesting, and I am pleased by the color, it’s not my favorite. Regardless, it’s fascinating to me just how different people’s tastes can be.
Not Yet Titled #5
Acrylic, polyacrylic on maple plywood
16″ x 16″ x 1″
2010
Not Yet Titled #5
Acrylic, polyacrylic on maple plywood
16″ x 16″ x 1″
2010
In #5, I wanted to pay special attention to how I worked with the edge of the plywood panel. In all of the pieces, the paint continues over the edge of the support. In this piece, I wanted there to be a specific event on the edge of the panel. As you can see in the second image, the form comes to a point on the edge.
Not Yet Titled #6
Acrylic, polyacrylic on maple plywood
16″ x 16″ x 1″
2010
Not Yet Titled #6
Acrylic, polyacrylic on maple plywood
16″ x 16″ x 1″
2010
Not Yet Titled #7
Acrylic, polyacrylic on maple plywood
24″ x 24″ x 1″
2010
Not Yet Titled #7
Acrylic, polyacrylic on maple plywood
24″ x 24″ x 1″
2010
Once #7 above was completed, I was almost to the end of my residency. I was mentally and physically exhausted. However, I got a burst of energy from an idea of one of my fellow residents and with less than two days remaining I decided to create six new and very different paintings. I will share those in the next post.
Thanks for looking!
#4 and #5 are my favorite. They work as a set and I find them humorous. The thin different color lines you add at the edges are a good touch.
Regarding different tastes, it is something I’d see all the time in the former gallery that I ran. It is one of the reasons consistent pricing is so important. An artist’s opinion is irrelevant regarding how good a work is and their opinion is often at odds with the rest of the world.
And under the category of unsolicited criticism, I find the small gaps in the side of the plywood distracting. I think it would be better if you would fill them with putty and paint over it to create a smooth surface (I know, you’ll probably say you want it to look like plywood but just my opinion).
Thanks for the comments, Rob. And you know me so well! I definitely don’t want to use putty to fill those holes. They are there and I’m OK with them. The plywood already runs a risk of feeling artificial with the clear coating I’ve done. To hide the imperfections on the side would further that, I think.
#1 and #4 look really great. #1 is organic and sexy. It looks like underwear. It also has echoes of Don Voisine, as you noted. Very groovy. #4 is just pretty. It’s starting to remind me of Rachel Beach and her trompe l’oeil effects. I don’t know how far you want to go embracing that.
The others are also good but not as good as those two, I don’t think. There’s an element of Ken Noland in all of these, too, with the thin stripes holding the larger color areas.
As far as the voids in the plywood goes, you might try buying a better grade of plywood. I expect you get some voids at any grade, but the better the plywood, the fewer the voids. You might also check the country of origin of the plywood. The same grade from, say, an eastern European country might have more voids than that of Canada or whatever. At least, that’s what I’ve read online. You’d have to do your own research, find what countries are making the good stuff these days.
Thanks for the feedback, Chris. Yeah, I think #1 is going to prove to be very fruitful.
As for the voids in the plywood, this is the best stuff I’ve used to date. It’s supposedly from whatever country makes the best plywood now (no Asian sources). The issue, I think, is that I’ve taken a 4′ x 8′ sheet of plywood and cut it up into 20+ pieces. Some of the cut lines then hit on where a ply comes together and I hit a weaker point with the saw blade. A small chunk of ply then flies out. Personally, I’m OK with the voids. It keeps the piece from being too special, too precious. I’d be tempted to use something of less quality (i.e. Home Depot plywood) if I could find some without damaged surfaces. The large piece with the clear dripping down it on my web site is from Lowe’s for example.
My problem with high quality plywood is that they use the best, most consistent veneer for the outer surface. I want wilder grain, less perfect. They use that for plywood at Home Depot, but not the nicer lumber suppliers.
The good thing about the nicer lumber suppliers is the variety of wood types they have in plywood. My source even has Wenge veneered plywood. It costs $300 for a 4′ x 8′ sheet!
Thanks again for the feedback!
Hey, man, if you, like, dig the voids, then I’m groovin’ too!
Wenge plywood. My goodness.
Looks like we’re both groovin’ then!