3rd Session Rachel

2nd Session on Rachel

THIS is freedom!

Coming along nicely! 

Rachel (3rd model in series)

It was a new experience painting Rachel.  There was a completely different vibe with her.  When I painted Ashley and Mickey I was making ridiculous faces, grunting and gasping with ecstasy, aggressively trying to penetrate the canvas with my brush, etc.  This is sort of my usual way of painting unless I am working on a slower, layered mixed media piece.  Rachel gave me a gentle, quiet feeling of peace and I painted her flesh softly.  I don't know what it is about the meditation aspect and allowing the models to speak for themselves but this series is becoming more and more interesting! 

2nd Painting Finished

Although I prefer this blog to be largely visual, I'd just like to point out something important about my artistic process for those of you who might be interested.  

The Walden Pond sketches and photos that are a few posts back weren't so great.  However, the process of going there, meditating, observing, and creating was necessary to inspire many of the branches/forest in this painting.  If you have a good eye you will even be able to see something very specific that I stole from Walden as well as just the general impression of those woods (color, shape, mood, atmosphere, etc).  I did not go back and look at the sketches or photos to help me with this painting. The visions of my most recent experience at Walden simply made their way into this painting via my memory, some conscious and others not.  

Additionally,  I know all of the models from this series.  I have relationships with them outside of the art studio.  Some of them I know very, very well, some I have deep spiritual connections with and others more complex relationships with.  The fact that I have these varied relationships with the models has a profound affect on how they are expressed in the paintings.  

Each model is also lead through a guided meditation on their sacred space in Nature.  They choose their own pose through this guidance and without further suggestion from me.  

Rachel is next on Saturday.  So far all yogi(ni)s.  Stay tuned and check out the photos from the final painting I have done of Mickey.  

I think this is done....

Although I'm not too big on symbolism....I know that the model identifies his spirit animal to be the wolf...couldn't help myself

Second in Figure/Nature Series

Detail of the face

 mmmmmmmm love this stuff

Well, there are some nipple issues but so far so good!

It's Happening

The beginning of my new series....SO EXCITED.  Let's see how humans and nature reconcile with each other.

Nude

This post has been a long time coming.  I made this painting in a few days in late May/early June for the Cavity.Lab Tinbergen's 4 Questions show.  Props to my virgin model for being so inspiring and cooperative!