I've been doing a series of tiny paintings, mostly in the 5 x 7 inch range for an exhibition that opens next month. It has been a great learning experience. Some days, like yesterday, I'll get to four different locations. That small size forces me to react quickly to the light and mood of a place. Tuesday I did a small study in Garfield (above, top). I then returned to my studio to start the 16 x 20 on linen. Wednesday morning the light was great again so I worked on location from 7:30 - 10. Today, Thursday, I spent a couple hours on it again trying to get the perspective correct. While working on the large one I noticed the tiny red brick building in the background. It added a nice touch of color to the painting. I'm often asked how long it takes to do a painting. I hate the question because the actual painting time is often not very long. I think I may have 6-8 total hours on the 16 x 20, but that doesn't include three trips to the site, buying art supplies, or the 30 years it took me to get to this point. So I usually say the painting took 30 years.
What a great pair of paintings. It's so interesting to see how a painting is derived from a sketch. I also totally understand that it took 30 years to do the painting. That's how I feel about my work too!
ReplyDeleteMay have already told you this, but it bears repeating--love both of these,Ron--
ReplyDeleteRon, I love these paintings. The red building adds color to the overall painting.I remember when you were just young and doing sketches in your notebook. I was amazed then and I am certainly AMAZED by your work now!
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