Day 13 - Shopping Day

So, this 30 in 30 has been all about experimenting and trying out new things.  One of the things artists have to consider is the scale of the artwork they are creating.  And when I work from photo references, I always have to consider how I am going to crop the image...  I have some panel cut offs hanging around my studio that are waiting for me to figure out what I am going to paint on them.  After snapping this picture the other day at my grocery store, I decided it would be awesome to try a very long, narrow, vertical composition... And see what happens.  I really like how the lines draw you through the composition and how it appears to be just a sliver of time, maybe as viewed through a narrow slit in a doorway....

Shopping Day, oil, 4"x12",
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Day 6 - Studying the Circular

Sometimes the most mundane places give you the most beautiful compositions! This man was at my local grocery and as I was packing my bags away, I sneakily snapped a picture of him. I love all of the patterns and shapes occurring all around him and just love his pose and expression.   They were great to break down and analyze to see just how everything fits together.  It turned out to be a very complicated composition to execute... I spent way too much time in my studio painting this one!  But in the end, it was exciting and fun to paint!  Challenging also in I don't know how many older men (try none...) I have actually painted in my life, so getting his gesture right took a bit of patience.  And the foreshortening  of his legs and arm.... Let me just say, this was a case of paint what you see, not what you think you know...

 Sadly, because it is still pretty wet, it was difficult to photograph without a glare... This is the best I could get for now...

And btw, tomorrow's painting won't be quite as complex...!

Studying the Circular, oil, 20"x20"
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