Tuesday, October 25, 2011

FIDDLED WITH PORTRAIT + NEW IDEAS

Rather than redo the portrait as Maggie suggested with more lights in the figure and the darks around, I fiddled with this one, adding a bit of color and softening some of the too-much-texture look.  I will still redo it, but didn't want to start another yesterday.








Instead of starting over, I was having this idea...

Due to the pain and stiffness in my neck that's been there since the last trip to the chiropractor and not getting any better, I was thinking about the cause of the pain...

which led me to


The Caws of the Pain

and some ideas drawn out on tracing paper and then copied a bit larger on the copier.



I'll bring that together, somehow, and create a painting of a crow looking or touching a woman's neck from the side/back and calling it
The Caws of the Pain.




I know, my mind works in strange ways!

What other titles could you think of to include caws? 
Caws for alarm. 
Just be-caws. 
Hmm........


After another visit to the doctor today, he sent me to get x-rays to see what's happening with my neck and shoulders - so stiff and painful, I can hardly turn my head to the right (fun driving on the interstate that way, let me tell you!).  Will find out if it's just a muscle pull that's bad or something else.  He doesn't think it's a pinched nerve even though my left thigh went numb while getting the massage last week.

What fresh hell is this?  Time to take me out to the back pasture and put me down?

10 comments:

Carol Blackburn said...

Oh Rhonda, I am with you in spirit and pray for you to feel better soon.....my coworker and I looked at each other last night and I said "I'll shoot you, you shoot me?" She said yes but we have to do it at the same time. That's how bad we were both feeling. So sad, isn't it? I love the "caws" idea you are toying with, just be-caws. I think your "caws for alarm" should be a really big painting. Take care of yourself.

hw (hallie) farber said...

Caws and effect. Caws ways.

Your neck problem sounds awful. I had a disk fused in my neck 25+ years ago; a pain in the neck affects every movement. Be well.

Anonymous said...

Rhonda, so sorry about your neck, but totally empathise having had so many neck problems myself over the years. I can’t believe your neck would hurt so much after a visit to the Chiropractor…. some thing is not right, there.

You really made me laugh with your 'caws' train of thought this morning…. right up my alley and put a smile on my face!

Also really like how you have changed your painting…. If I think up any more ideas...I will let you know. Sometimes I think of a title first and do a painting, sometimes the title comes later… I can see a whole series of these…just loved the orangey caws one you painted not so long ago. Here are some of the top of my head…caws you asked!


Caws it’s meant to be!
Caws it’s the only way!
Caws and effect!
Caws I don’t know any better!
Caws I care!
Caws I’m stupid!
Caws its life!
Raining Caws and dogs!
Caws-way!
Cawstrophobic!
Cawter to three!
Rather cawstic today!
Caws my head hurts
Caw my brains dead!
Caws I’m an artist
Just becaws!
Caws I believe I n God!
Caws I have faith!
Caws chronicles!
Caws my neck hurts!
My art is my caws!


Maggie

Caroline Simmill said...

I have enjoyed looking at your autumn walk photos Rhonda. I think Maggie's idea of darkening the background has helped to bring out the figure more. I hope you feel better soon. Thinking of you and hope you can manage some more drawing and painting soon.

Anonymous said...

Apparently our minds work the same way as word play and art amuses me to no end. Love what you've done with this painting and your ideas for more to come!

Anamaria do Val said...

I think The Caws of the Pain is a very good title!

Have you thought about some kind of stretching? Maybe it helps your neck's pain. Hope you get better soon.

RH Carpenter said...

Carol, so sorry you are suffering. I do hope you feel better soon. Pain that lasts makes one cranky and tired - and keeps one from painting, too!! Caws for Alarm should have lots of reds in it playing off the dark crows :)

Hallie, good ideas. I hope I don't have to have anything other than some physical therapy on this neck of mine. Buying and sleeping on a Temperpedic pillow helped me wake up this morning in less pain - so maybe it's my sleeping arrangement as well as a pulled muscle?

Maggie, great ideas, all - enough to keep me busy the rest of the year! ha ha Yes, I think I was tense, waiting for that metal "punch" called a CAT (I looked it up under chiropractic tools) and when he did it several times, it caused a pull in the muscle - I hope that's the simple answer :) Caws my neck hurts!!! ha ha love that one :)

Thanks, Caroline, Maggie had a great idea and I wanted a touch of color so we compromised :)

Thanks, Sherry :)

Anamaria, thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment :) I do have small stretching exercises to do once I put heat on my neck to loosen it up - my neck will be so loose, I'll be like a giraffe! ha ha Thank you so much for your well wishes!

Ladies, the best title I came up with was a painting I've tried 3 times and never been able to get right until I painted it on Tyvek (the stuff Myrna Wacknov uses that is the construction wrapping for houses). It was a painting of cows at a feed trough with their behinds towards the viewer and I called it: Dairy Aires
Say it out loud - get it! ha ha ha ha Someone liked it so much they asked if they could use that title for their painting (something different but still about cows). But isn't a title as much the artist's own as the painting? I thought so since I'd never heard this title anywhere before and it came to me immediately so I felt it was mine. What do you think? Titles are okay to be used over and over? Or are they your own as much as your painting is your own?

RH Carpenter said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Harry Kent said...

So sorry to read of your neck troubles, Rhonda. Let us know if you find some way of relieving the pain. So many of us have similar issues. Constant pain just the gloss off living and painting, so get well soon.

RH Carpenter said...

Harry, so glad to hear from you!!! You have been missed, my friend :) A mix of chiropractic and then a good massage therapist every over week seems to have done the trick!!