This painting of the birds went through a number of transitions. Each painting that I did on the way, holds personal meaning for me.
I like to paint something using different perspectives, over a period of time. Depending upon my mood and what medium I am using, a painting may be completed in a few minutes. At other times, it may result in a long and more “drawn out” relationship with the subject that has many layers and glazes of paint.
In this water color and ink painting shown immediately below, my relationship with these birds started out in a rather carefree manner. It was a small painting, only 4″ x 6″, and I wanted it to be an inspiration for a larger painting on the same subject. I did this watercolor and ink in a matter of a few minutes.
What is it about this tiny watercolor painting that feels so big and bold? It is actually a very small painting, but I feel that it has the sense of being large. I like the way that the reflections and shadows of the birds dance around in the swirling sand and water. The birds’ dark shadows disrupt the soft blue, reflective water as ocean waves press and pull the birds inward and outward, while they scurry around and search for food.
When I paint them again, this time in mostly transparent oils, using a much larger canvas, the mood changes. The birds become steadier, and more firmly geometrically situated, implying a kind of calligraphy on the canvas.
If I had all the canvas and space in the world, I would not continually paint over what I have painted, but would keep each stage as a chapter of a “book painting”.
Moving from moody and earth toned, I start adding brighter oil colors to the proposed calligraphy of birds.
As this process progresses, the version of the painting becomes less calligraphic, but instead allows each bird and wave to be individually reflected upon.
In the end, I chose to leave the final painting lighter, softer, and less moody than how I started, mainly by smoothing out the ocean water’s movements and lightening it up through a series of tonal washers, or glazes. In the finished painting, the beach was a softer, lighter color of browns than the dark brown birds with their white bellies, offering some contrast between them, but not creating strong calligraphic marks as I initially had. Here is the result.
This dialogue between the birds and me has been prolonged through quiet moments of shifting dispositions and is now turning into several months of visitation. Our conversation is so interesting that I am sure we could continue this dialogue for several months more. However, I am getting restless.
It is now time to move on, to try new ways of thinking with paint.
What did I learn from this painting? I learned that the quick movements of inspiration are hard to keep. But perhaps they are not for keeping. What they do instead, is attract the painter to the idea of the painting. One might stop there. Or one may press forward and consider the depth of the attraction, sometimes realizing that at the end of the painting, there is a relationship over time rather than a single result.
My painting are already abstract, but I hope to play with abstraction even more. The aim is to keep the thought, without committing completely to the shapes, of reality.
marysgardens 