The two at the top are reproductions of paintings of Picasso's that are at MoMA. I've never been a big fan of Picasso. I feel a cold wind in his work. But when I saw these two pieces the other day I was floored. The solidity and vibration of flesh that he has achieved kills me. He's reveling in the joy of these concrete women's bodies. I decided to try copying them. By drawing I learn. The intention isn't to make a "good" copy. The intention is to learn the paintings.
I love the way he has mixed the flesh tones with the grey-blue background on the middle top piece. That blue has been staying with me. So I decided to try one of my pieces with a blue background. Here's a photo of the pieces I'm currently working on. The bottom middle piece is the one I am writing of:
The top four black-and-whites are sketches for a piece that I've been commissioned to do for a new hair salon up on 25th Street. I'm agonizing over it. Her left arm is driving me crazy. I like it bent as it is in the middle two. But it looks a bit small to my eye. It reminds me a bit of a turd sticking out of her side. So I've tried bringing her arm down. Yet that doesn't work because it competes with the line of her back and ass. I'll live with them for a couple of days before I work on it more.
I'm happy to write that the black mood I mentioned the other day has lifted. It left the same way it arrived: completely unexpected and without a reason I consciously understand. Actually, that isn't completely true. I've been struggling with a big assignment for National Geographic. I wasn't really aware of this internal struggle. It's funny how the noise in my head becomes inaudible. Jack Kerouac wrote that our ability to get used to things isn't always a good thing; one could get used to living on the median of a highway. Anyway, I've been hitting my head against a wall with this assignment. The story was my idea. I really care about it. I am thrilled with what it's looking like. Three ingredients that lead to agonizing for me. So I asked the guys at the studio—Joe, Jeong and Victoria—for some help bringing the illustrations to the next level. I want to add detail to the pieces. I just don't seem able to access the patience to do this. Once I asked for some help from the guys I felt my mood brighten a bit. I believe the story will be in the May issue. Once it's on the stands I'll post some of the artwork and write about them specifically.
I've heard it said that feelings aren't facts. I pray this is true. In my case emotions are often amplified. They're on 11. Again, another one of those good and bad things. Like your mother-in-law going over a cliff in your new Cadillac. Occasionally it sucks being in my head. Yet I know that the sensitivity I have is directly related to my creativity and the work I make.
0 comments:
Post a Comment