On the easel for July

This set up is a continuation of a composition started from a 9 x 12 in commission with a blue back ground. I became intrigued by possibilities. What you are seeing here is a subtractive drawing in black paint to establish the values and the rendering. It's during this stage that I correct drawing issues and understand the values in translating color into B&W. In this way, when I begin to paint in color, I can focus on the color issues .There is no hocus pocus that takes the place of focus.

Painting in a life size scale (9 X 12 inches) is intimate because it gives the viewer a one on one perspective, as if you can just reach out and pick up a cup. At this size painters call it a "hand painting" because all the physical action takes place through the hand and the wrist.
At a larger size a painting might be said to be a "shoulder painting"  because the physical action will come from primarily arm and shoulder movements.
At 36 X 36 inches, this is a "body painting" because I will need to step on a step ladder to reach the top; I will be using my legs as well as arms, shoulders,hands and wrists.

36 inches by 36 inches make for a very different perspective. Because this size is so much larger than life, the cups fill the entire field of vision. The viewer is more likely to feel immersed in the subject. The iconic scale and nature of the subject takes on a more metaphorical significance. Everyday we have the control of picking up a cup and it does our bidding allowing us to sip and drink. But cups at this iconic scale are in control and demanding of us; to look at them, stand back and see them as we have never sen them before.


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