WIP .. Not sure what it will be, the painting process will decide.

[Enyaw]

So, a new year, a new excursion. I am going to paint in a response mode and not carry any preconceived notions of the what the finished painting will look like. So for a start I applied paint to my paper. I don't care the color at this juncture as I am looking for values and a farewell to the white of the support.

I then applied a second pass of paint painting vaguely the values that were there. No refinement just placing color. I do know that I need to keep my strokes random and going in all directions to imply space and atmosphere so that is all I care to do at this point but still try to emulated somewhat the values I see while I enhance the values by light or darkness. I arrived here: the image below: 2nd pass.

Then I have to wait and look at what I have to decide what the next strokes will be. Do I paint what I see emerging or just keep with the values. Perhaps introduce a new unrelated passage to open the piece or perhaps close it. Time and looking will help with that. I put this on my monitor and while I practice my guitar I will silently gaze and allow my eyes to see what I have. Mess, some might say. Perhaps. Would not be the first time I went down a blind alley only to end up on my butt wondering what hit me. As an exercise you might look at the steps and see what I see or simply wonder what hit me to make me see what I see. Right now it looks ghoulish; like figures I don't know in some unknown place. I know not what but I do know it will influence me the next pass.

.. musical interlude .. to be continued.

 

[Hermes2020]

Wayne, I so enjoy this kind of post. I can't wait to see what emerges from your beginning, which does not look like a mess at all.

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you Hermes .. glad you’re along for the ride. Hopefully I can keep the wheels on the wagon. I think at this point I am in need of a little heavy lifting as in addition or subtraction over casual refinement though I do like the ghoulish feel.

 

[Donna T]

I’m very interested in how you’re doing this, Wayne! Whatever the outcome, I love the idea of starting with no subject and waiting for it to emerge. My problem is that I see such weird things (elephants in hats etc.) and I can’t unsee them and they don’t translate well into paintings. I hope you’ll have better success - or at least a good time exploring.

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you Donna. I see some of that too and to get rid of it I apply a different value over the piece in the shape that is the strongest impression. I try to keep the values to marks and not do anything to give them form. I try to let the shapes be shapes and not objects as they change with the application of new strokes. The tall stroke down the left side could be any number of things including something with a har but I will only allow it to suggest other things and not become other things. Hopefully that makes some sense. I have not decided what I am painting yet but shapes suggest a lot. I concentrate on movement. I already see I need to remove some of the light entering on the viewer left side and bottom. My next move will be to remove the light and when I do that the painting will suggest the next move. I am already thinking I will need to not simply remove the light but I will need to place it elsewhere.

 

[Enyaw]

Changed the light by removing the bottom light and introduced a new light in the form of blue and allowed the light source to be the top right corner .. I like the atmosphere but the coloring seems to need some help. Even though I have not formed the shapes they are becoming much more relevant but still mysterious in the fact they have little to no form. Not in application but in spirit I think of William Blake for some reason. His painting are much more developed but still in that creepy zone of wonderment.

 

[snoball]

Very interesting to see how this is coming along. I'm looking forward to see what escapes from your mind with this method.

 

[Enyaw]

Thanks Sno. I’m close. One more pass should do it. Different for me as I usually do it all in one sitting but not possible with this as the time in between is the thought process. I wouldn’t have the patience of waiting for oils to dry.

 

[Donna T]

Creepy Zone of Wonderment. You are in that zone and it’s a good place to be. Wayne, do you find that hard edges tend to become things more than soft ones? There is strength in those shapes because of the edges but I have to keep the edges soft as long as possible to keep the things from appearing. It’s good for me to see how the edges are working for you here.

 

[Enyaw]

I should pay more attention to edges but usually they are last on the list. This piece seems to interest me as the sharp edges separate planes. The smaller viewer bottom left reminds me of a being falling and the long dark shape next to it seems to accentuate the fall. I will try to darken the large or intensify it but still leave it as wonderment. The other shapes to the right I will lighten slightly and then whatever enters my mind as a next step will follow. The falling being will stay as a figment of my imagination rather than form because it falls without needing form. Sometimes instead of softening the edge you can bring its surroundings closer to the value of the edge and that lets them sink in instead of imposing.

 

[Donna T]

Thanks Wayne. I see the sense of motion in this and how the light at the top is illuminating whatever is happening. Cool!

 

[Enyaw]

Welcome Donna. Hope your hand is healing as it should.

 

[Terri]

This is so much fun. I enjoy following along!

Casual comment: the first image you posted when you were still just "removing the white" looked lovely to me. The swirling brush strokes and the color blends were very nice, with an abstract floral design in the bottom right. Almost a tulip!

And I still love where it is right now, as well!

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you Terri. Trying to stay away from flowers for a little.

 

[Jade]

I’m very interested in how you’re doing this, Wayne! Whatever the outcome, I love the idea of starting with no subject and waiting for it to emerge. My problem is that I see such weird things (elephants in hats etc.) and I can’t unsee them and they don’t translate well into paintings. I hope you’ll have better success - or at least a good time exploring.

Oh I like an elephant in a hat Donna (as you know ) !

 

[laf.art]

View attachment 53074
Changed the light by removing the bottom light and introduced a new light in the form of blue and allowed the light source to be the top right corner .. I like the atmosphere but the coloring seems to need some help. Even though I have not formed the shapes they are becoming much more relevant but still mysterious in the fact they have little to no form. Not in application but in spirit I think of William Blake for some reason. His painting are much more developed but still in that creepy zone of wonderment.

I love this stage, its really strong. I'm sitting here thinking what my next move would be

 

[Enyaw]

Thanks laf. That’s half the battle. First I think then paint. Then while I apply the changes, some of my thoughts help and then sometimes it changes things where I have to reinvent. I finished it earlier and will post it shortly. I was forced into a few changes but I think they make it stronger. I lightened the upper lights, changed a few edges and intensities. Then I realized I had the light too powerful and bright so I had to rework that section. In the reworking I added a few more upfront darks so the lights were not just there but behind more ominous darks. Happy with it and now have a name for it all. It will be named “The Gates Of Hell”. Once I nave.my tea down I will get the final posted.

 

[Enyaw]

The Gates of Hell ..
11 x 14 inches .. acrylic on paper .. painted Jan 7/26 .. took 4 or 5 days .. can't remember exactly as I was in and out of the painting when the urge arose.

 

[Donna T]

I like the changes you made since the last post; they seem thoughtful and considered. Those shapes are stirring my imagination and the title fits! Now I have the “gates of Hell” stuck in my head from the Tom Petty song.

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you. I must go have a listen. Never heard the song. The title just came into my head as I painted. Now, I have that dreaded thought of how in the world will I follow as this one came without a lot of coaxing but I don’t know what I done to encourage it. Oh well, what ever will be will be.