The date is June 30th, and I’ve spent the last two days taking a small break from producing small oil paintings on panels for shopoilpaintings.com in order to develop a larger and more experimental painting.
This experimental painting is the product of a variety of inspirations, the first of which is Matisse’s The Red Studio, which Clement Greenberg referred to as the flattest easel painting ever produced at the time (picture attached). We’ll return back to Matisse’s The Red Studio shortly.
The other inspirations that have informed this painting is a collage I made using a large poster of James Ensor's painting, "Christ's Entry Into Brussels in 1889" combined with a large poster of a drone. At Magdalene’s job, she has access to large format printers so from time to time when I sense the need for certain imagery to source from I will have her print some large posters for me. I have been thinking a lot about the importance of referencing tools of modern warfare like jets and drones in my floral compositions for various reasons.
I had this urge some months ago and have been sitting on two large posters of two drones and a small print of a jet on my studio wall. On Sunday morning I snapped and came up with the idea of cutting out a portion of the drone poster and pasting it on top of the Ensor painting in order to create the potential for a powerful and interesting painting.
As many followers of my art work know I am very interested in referencing old master paintings and even contemporary master paintings in my own studio paintings and murals. The James Ensor's painting, "Christ's Entry Into Brussels in 1889" has been in my studio for probably almost a year and I was happy to have finally found a use for it.
To complete the composition I spontaneously arranged all the fake flowers in my studio in the foreground of the picture so that the floral arrangement its atop the surface with the drone/Ensor collage in the back.
On Sunday morning I composed the picture in a coffee fueled rage and then blocked the picture in with crayon and then shortly after with mineral spirits in the backyard before going to Magdalene’s parents house for the remainder of the day. I needed to let the Gamsol soaked canvas evaporate for many many hours so despite my creative rage I was very happy to go to my parents house for the afternoon.
When I came back in the evening I was substantially less enthusiastic about the composition and decided not to work into in at night and instead let it simmer all night before committing to first pass of paint.
Matisse’s The Red Studio is made relevant because when I blocked in the painting I made the Ensor background and the floral foreground the same thin shade of Cadmium red. I did this because I did want to evoke the imagery of blood in relation to the drone while simultaneously seeing how effectively I could flatten the picture plane like how Matisse did in his legendary painting.
We’ll see if I continue to commit to the foreground and the background being the same color but I did want to start the painting party off that way. At the very least the background and the foreground will share the red underpainting in a way that will hopefully create an interesting painting.
Today on June 30th I started on the first pass of the painting. I began with the Ensor background because this middle section of the painting is the part I am most insecure about. I know if I can establish some confidence in this section of the picture that should duel me sufficiently to conquer the remainder of the painting on my first pass.
When embarking on a large (or small) painting, but one that you know will be very laborious, its super important to be really sure that you are sufficiently enthused in the project to sustain the long ride. I’m actually very committed to this painting not being a render-fest but even if I just loosely suggest a lot of the elements in the painting it will still be a multiday project. And right now while I’m working on building a large, strong catalog of small paintings every day counts immensely. Plus despite the fact that I would rigorously render every element of this picture, there are still lots of elements!
Between the Ensor painting (picture attached), which contains probably over 100 figures to suggest the floral composition is quite extensive. I was very curious to see how this picture comes together. Its important in my studio painting practice to be taking some chances in my picture making. I know how to render photos, I know how to arrange a fun, funky still life and either paint it in one day or render it over the course of a week.
What I don’t know how to do its create a new way of seeing. Is create a very provocative, compelling modern picture that might entice an exhibition to feature me. This is the difference between being a technician with paint and an artist. I know how to be a technician with paint, but do I know how to be an artist?
The same way Matisse and Ensor were artists. Do I know how to push boundaries on a flat surface with paint and create an immensely interesting and original picture? I know I have it in me but I’m not sure if I’ve sufficiently demonstrated it to the public yet.
Most recently I created one of these pictures I am describing. Today I will share the painting on Instagram, not that that will really inform nor make or break my perception of how successful of a picture this is along the previously described parameters. It doesn't really matter anyway because at the end of the day I need to impress myself, not others.
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