back to work on many fronts

Hello. I have been away a long time and have been busy in the country where I am pretty full time with my sublet. I've been making some new paintings that I want to show and facebook is annoying and I feel infinitely safer on my blog. That's my first mistake. This group of four are close-up views of Muir Woods and my Backyard. The one on the left is "The Pacific Coast" coming in at a whopping 94"x76" It is garish and crazy and I have a love hate relationship with it but I think it might be good in time. These images needless to say were shot by an amateur that would be me so the color and everything is crap in person they are pretty special and going in the right direction.

This guy who has read my blog suggested that I document the work, the process and I have been taking photos of paintings during phases which can be great. This large Pacific Coast Painting that I am making has been handled very mechanically that is, rocks then the water. It feels very technical and of course it is but I think the fact that it is kind of monumental in scale for the subject also the fact that I haven't been making representational paintings in a while. Back to old turf which is amazingly comfortable. There is a result and you are watching it happen I really love what has just happened with the PCoast painting the foreground feels like you are hovering over it and I could not be happier. If nothing else it justified the scale sort of anyway...making that discovery purely accidentally. I say that because the image that I am referencing is very vague in the foreground so I've made it up and in the end painted over it and made a mess that finished it quite well. And you try painting the ocean. Unbelievable that I can even be so arrogant to tackle what I have always feared the most. Water is as you can imagine is right up there with painting glass which is easier I think. I lucked out with this PCoast Pic. I think anyway. It's funny to think that there are people who will think it sucks. I understand that if you can paint well you might be put off by my attempts. I do think they are great though so I am totally serious and stand behind my paintings. :)

Wow that last rant was suppose to be about my photographic process regarding work. I did take photos pf two phases of the painting. The Rock stage and then the Rock / Water phase. the one above of course is the latter. I am hesitant to post Phase 1 becasue I know everyone, all of you will say I should have stopped. It is valid but not what I was going for now. But the photo was helpful to see what I may do later that is certain. I have used photography during the process in the past but at this stage in my life I think it makes more sense. When I was younger it didn't serve any purpose (other than document my drink/pot filled... youth) today it is a useful tool. As Joanne Worely would say Borrrring!