Sunday, December 7, 2008

Sunday Painting - Three in One Morning

I worked on three paintings this morning - each demanding something very different. The first was this odd small work, which I think of as Cardinal Man. It might be Virgil again. He shows up a lot. This was an awful lot of fun to paint. I can't explain all the shapes - they just are. Well the fish isn't, I guess.

And I worked more on Ursas Major and Minor, which I will continue to orient as I see it, since I haven't seen it right-side-up in nearly a week. This was soothing work, and actually what I started with today. This is about all I'd be up for if I paint more tonight. I'm pretty tired out and this week will be another challenge at work.

Finally, I worked more on Glee 1. This was the hardest work of the day - figures are hard for me, especially if they are largely out of my head. But I'm fairly pleased. The drawing had this figure looking grumpy, and that is not what I wanted. So I altered the expression while painting it. This will be one of the most time consuming paintings I've done since Housecats and Weathervanes, two years ago.

This morning I took photos of these incredible frost patterns on the top of my car. The cold finally drove me inside, or I might have continued to hunt for compositions. I took about a dozen shots.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sheesh! What to comment on first? Well, working backward - the frost patterns are so interesting. I can't wait to see where they show up.

The cardinal painting is fabulous. He has the same pose I saw all day as the cardinals visited our feeder.

And I'm really loving Glee. I'm glad you gave that fellow a hint of a smile.

The Cunning Runt said...

All very intriguing there, Steve. Love the colors in Cardinal Man!

And frost, what a wonder! Very cool photos. :)

Unknown said...

Wow! The guys with the building heads turned out really great! I like the laughing man. I kept thinking that he must be strong to be able to balance that building on his head and still be able to tilt his head back for a good laugh.

The frost patterns are very cool. And, brrrrrrrr, it was only my camera that got me out on Saturday. But on Sunday I was very much under the weather and it's continued into today, Monday.

What a prolific day of painting you had!

L'Adelaide said...

steve, this just all gets better and better...so fun to watch things get made from the ground up, so to speak...and the frost patterns, you know we don't ever get those here .. they are quite beautiful ...I don't know why they have that pattern in them? it's lovely.

really like the cardinal man...I like the building head men but there is something a little weird to me and I am positive it's me and not YOUR painting....I think I may feel differently as they take on a more human look...maybe....but technically, I don't know how you do it...well, yes, I do...lots of painting...

Steve Emery said...

Everyone - many many thanks for the encouraging comments (which I read twice). But I am at such low ebb that I can't offer detailed replies this evening. I am encouraged that even in this dark and difficult month I still have this much artistically going on - I feel well cared for by my muse at the moment.