In order to not take myself too seriously and give myself permission to experiment I’m painting on the inside of cereal boxes. Canvas seemed much too intimidating and . . . the cereal boxes are free.
It’s a beginning oil painting class but 3 of us are using acrylic paint. Acrylic is water based, dries fast (helps with my boredom quotient) and doesn’t have stinky solvent. For the first lesson the teacher sent us a picture of a black and white alabaster bust of a small innocent looking child.
It’s challenging to say the least. My paintings turned into alien babies. After being initially aghast at how I transformed the innocent little child into someone from the outer realms I started to have fun painting alien babies.
Okay I get it. I completely understand the use of something other than canvas, such as any corrugated cardboard, wood etc, so that it doesn’t make one inhibited to be “wasting” canvas and also keeps one from as you say, taking it all too seriously. Way less “precious”.
Are you just starting to paint? These are seriously good!!! You clearly have natural ability here. Have you ever seen the works of Jim Dyne? Check them out and you will see many works there that your alien babies are reminiscent of. High compliment.
Peta
LikeLike
This is my second acrylic class – the first one was a waste of time and I stopped going as the teacher was really caustic, unpleasantly so, and her method of teaching was to sit and paint herself the entire class and not really explain what she was even doing. This teacher has stressed value which has led me to using a limited pallet and concentrating on lights and darks (I think life drawing has helped with this too).
I am not familiar with Jim Dyne and I’ll check him out.
Less “precious” is an excellent way to describe it. I watched the other students beat themselves up when their canvas paintings didn’t turn out they way they wanted. I don’t beat myself up. I just ask my husband to eat more cereal.
LikeLike
Those are pretty darn good, Judy. A nice break from naked women (and men)!
LikeLike
Thanks Jacqui.
You’re right. When one starts getting bored with nudity it’s time . . .
LikeLike
Wow! I’m really impressed with your skill, as I think acrylic is a brand new medium for you. Maybe not babies, but maybe not aliens either. You’re doing a commendable job of expressing dimension, the hints of color accent the facial structure believably, and I really like your loose, gestural hand. Well done, Judy. Can’t wait to see your next class efforts.
LikeLike
Shari,
Acrylic is brand new medium as are alien babies. I’m finding painting to be difficult and taxes my patience (of which I have less and less). But it’s fun learning a new medium.
LikeLike
Most reports of alien encounters are with little grey ones – so perhaps you’re drawing from repressed memory of close encounters of the 3rd kind! Perhaps the ones you thought inhabited your body and are the reason for your fibro…
LikeLike
Rick,
I think you are right and all my encounters are of the 4th kind.
LikeLike