Thawing Out...
This week spring seemed to roll in, so I’ve been out painting on location again. I am way happier to be outside working, even with some chilly winds and muddy ground. I’ve mostly been working on smaller panels, 6×8’s and 8×10’s. It’s funny how easy it is to get wrapped up in a certain scale of painting. When I do a series of smaller paintings like this, it’s almost inconceivable to start a 30×40″ painting. The 12×16″ canvas I did the other day seemed like a substantial piece, when I was used to doing paintings half that size. Lately I’ve been drawn to these smaller sketches, and creating some intense little moment of detail, while having a large brushstroke right next to it that will encompass a huge amount of information.
The newest paintings are still wet and create too much glare when I photograph them, so the image above is from last spring. I’ve been out cruising around looking for some new places to paint, and I’m pretty happy to be finding some places that are interesting. A bit grungy, but with their own special appeal. I keep stumbling onto views as I drive around Union and Appleton, both rural inland towns. The views are not typically picturesque, but I like that about them. They are places that are gritty, but seem to compose into interesting images. And I like the idea of doing paintings of the Maine that is more a part of my daily life.
Here’s another quote from the novel I finished recently, “The Elegance of the Hedgehog”:
“Beauty consists of its own passing, just as we reach for it. It’s the ephemeral configuration of things in the moment, when you can see both their beauty and their death.”
Also, for years I’ve gotten emails asking me to have a comments section. So now that it’s there at the bottom of each post, feel free to throw your two cents in.
Posted on Friday March 27, 2009 | 10 Comments
10 Responses to “Thawing Out”
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Mornin’ Colin,
Looking forward to seeing your new paintings. One of the many things that I like about your work is the nice clean color. I have never been to Maine. Is the color of the buildings in your paintings actual or is it your interpretation? I have noticed that when it is apparent you are painting a white or light grey building you do get a lot of color variation in the building.
Hi William,
I paint the buildings with the local color fairly accurate. The house in this painting is actually teal. BUT I will push the warm/cool differences and look for subtle variations within a color and exaggerate them to create more interest in an image. So the shadow side of a white building may be a bluish grey overall, but it will be catching reflected greens from the grass, blues from the sky, and other colors from any other objects in the area. Looking for these colors and figuring out how far to push them is what makes painting fun for me. I hope that makes sense.
The color in this one just sings Colin. I was thinking that it was that house in Port Clyde that had a boat like that out front, but it is probably not.
Good description on how you push the subtle color differences.
Hey Frank,
This place is in South Rockland. It’s a funky house with a really funky boat in the yard. Thanks for checking in.
Colin, Thank you for going ahead with a comment location. Several times I have wanted to say thank you for a painting that you have done, and have been frustrated not to be able to. Your work is just full of life!
Thanks Mary, I’ll look forward to hearing from you which paintings grab your interest. I think it will be fun having a comments section and getting more feedback on my posts.
Colin- I’m so pleased that you’ve given your many admirers a place to leave a comment. Having just completed a week long workshop here, I understand the way you’ve explained how you apply the effect of reflecting colors on your shadows.
I keep your book close at hand and refer to it pretty regularly.
Your new site is delightful and I enjoy reading other peoples’ comments as well.
( if I can add a pennys’ worth of thought- the font reads kinda light on the screen and is sometimes hard to see. maybe it’s just my ” older ” eyes !)
Hi Colin, I fluked onto a method of photographing my paintings that works even when the painting is still wet. I prop the painting against the house, the patio is covered by a roof with the sides open. I have tried everywhere in the house and some bit of glare will get caught until it’s completely dry. A young friend who’s studying photography at Emily Carr said “Oh yeah, that’s 3 way ambient light. I’d never heard of that but it works.(Probably bringing coals to Newcastle but…)Love the painting!
Hi Bonnie
Thanks for checking in. I hope St Croix is treating you well. I’m glad you’re still enjoying the book and my work. Thanks.
Hi Tracey,
Thanks for the tip. Sometimes I can get soft natural light to give me a good photo, but lately I’ve just given up on rushing into it and I try to give the paintings a few days to dry up. I will certainly try your idea out and see what I can do with it.
Your rich grays showcase the sweet but not overly sweet, color in your paintings. Beautiful brushwork. The subtle nuances in your colors are breathtaking.