Friday, February 15, 2008

acrylic painting 'Picking Summer Flowers', February 15th, 2008

Greetings Everyone!

There's frost on the window this morning, the kind that has feathery little edges that radiate out from a center section that's impervious to vision. I am pretty sure it's illegal to say radiate and frost in the same sentence, especially when it's a minus 9 degrees that's causing it. Welcome to my town, Spencer, Iowa. I guess it encourages thinking warm thoughts?

Somewhere on this blog, or the other blog that I keep, I wrote a mission statement of giving the reader insight as to why painters do what they do. And then the 'artbizcoach' Alyson Stanfield has given the message in her newsletter, that artists need to write their purpose and vision statements as an aid to moving their careers forward. And then, being winter, and needing to drink more hot coffee--it's the build-up effect. Regarding all that, I am wondering if somewhere in what I have been pushing toward recently is my vison or purpose. I have always said I paint still lifes and people, that figures are more challenging, and when I need a breather from the challenge I paint a still life, because they're easy. So why have I given two of the three still lifes painted this year to the garbage guys? And I have a growing pile of figurative pieces? I have always been a people-watcher. [Now that will get you the remarks! "Too much eye contact, Cooper", "Mom, you're embarrassing", "That's annoying", "Quit staring", "How rude" --ok already!] But there is something fascinating about how people move their hands, their posture, a slight hesitation before they act---did I use the phrase build up effect already? :) Ok, now you are wanting me to stop and this post has been rather colorless to this point. So, how about an injection? I promised to do better with getting photos of this painting in the later stages, but I failed. The painting just wanted completion! Signed and named, here is the acrylic painting 'Picking Summer Flowers'. It measures a lovely 21 x 17 inches. It's an acrylic painting original on heavy gessoed paper. Can you see summer? :)


Later, Cooper


1 comment:

Janell said...

I'm a people wathcer, too. I am fascinated by hands - their sahpe, color, calloused or soft, the way they move and grasp and touch things. I've noticed that one of the ways I am like my older sisters is in our hands. I like the way the visible hand looks in Summer School Student.