Friday, July 10, 2009

WHEN YOU FORGET HOW TO PAINT...

Some days it seems I've forgotten everything I've learned about painting. I just go in and splash and splatter and overwork a painting to the point where it's screaming, "Please! Put me out of my misery!!" Maybe it's vacation and still the after-effects of not sketching or painting or viewing artwork (except one trip to the museum) all the time. Maybe it's just a summer let-down.

Anyway...

In class Thursday we worked on the Good White Shape and created abstracts. We were to leave some whites, use our values, temperatures and shapes to create something interesting. Unfortunately, I just kept going in with color, washing it off, going back in, washing it off...the Kilimanjaro paper held up pretty well but I can't say the same for the painting.


This is it - whatever it is...
And then I was working on just playing...painting a pretty butterfly...but that didn't work either! I did the same thing...putting the paint in, taking it off, putting it in, taking it off. No wonder the poor butterfly looks so TIRED!!!





Well, tomorrow is another day...the muse will return, I'm sure. It always does. But for now I think she has packed her bags and gone off on vacation for a while...



8 comments:

laura said...

I know just how you feel, Rhonda--"not every day's a winner," my mom says!
But, I love the greens in your "good white shape" painting. The shape looks to me like a knight on a rearing horse!

RH Carpenter said...

Laura, thanks for that reminder and the positive comments - you know, I did see a rearing horse, too, so now I know a knight rides that white steed :) I have begun both the butterfly and the Good White Shape abstract again.

Cathy Gatland said...

Those days are part of doing what we do I guess - I certainly recognise that feeling! I saw two dancing animals in your good white shape - an elephant and a kind of dog... but now I see the knight on a horse too:) Some lovely colours and textures - you never know what might come out of these muse-less sessions.
I've done a little abstract playing on my yupo too - didn't do a good white shape though!

Chris said...

If I'm having a bad painting day, I find that I'm thinking too much, trying to hard. My best work comes when I can get lost in a painting.

RH Carpenter said...

Cathy, we so want to see something in every swatch of color :) I guess that's how we're wired! Glad to see you playing with the yupo!!!
Chris, sorry you're having painting gremlins today (that's what I call them...they get into your studio when you're out having a cup of coffee and they just create havoc with your energy and creativity...and you can't even see them - of course, maybe that's a good thing that you can't see them!!) Hope you kick them out soon - take a broom in and give it a clean sweep and out they go!

jgr said...

I see tons of energy and bright optimism in your abstract shapes.

cathyswatercolors said...

I really like the abstract,very interesting.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks so much, Jane, for stopping by and commenting - I like your positive comment...maybe it was energy and the optimism that comes from thinking you can pull this off - before the reality sets in! ha ha I love your site and am going to update my blogroll to include your blog :)
Cathy, thanks so much! I think if I don't have an idea of why or what I get lost and just end up in a perpetual loop of putting paint on and taking it off. I forget about values, warm and cool temperatures, and shapes. My mind is not an abstract mind.