Friday, November 16, 2012

Spin Cycle, Practice and Face Painting


I've been practicing.  I feel that I know enough to be dangerous, but not enough to bring it home over the finish line.  I'm pretty good up to the 80-85% mark, then I'm a little wobbly after that.  So, I decided to try some warm ups this week and focus on trying to keep a fresh look + trying some other head positions.  I'm a little unsure on using warms and cools in colors and how the shadows actually fall.  As I go through this realm of unsurity, before I know it I've dropped into the endless spin cycle - making corrections here, then there, and then another round, again and again.  So, these studies have rules... fast (or at least faster), few corrections and decisive strokes with fresh color.

I'm still working on the swimmers from last week.  I was actually kinda hoping to be done with them by now.  I can say one is done.  I have declared her complete.  I had really thought that two were done.  But, now that I have revisited, I think there are a few more corrections to do.  This thought process, by the way, is actually the kiss of death because opens the door to fall into the dreaded spin cycle. When I get to that spot where I'm so close to being done.... just like 10-15% left to go... I start over working things and over thinking, and over analyzing.   I make a correction here, that throws things off and leads to a correction there and before you know it - I have made a lot of little corrections.   In wax, like any other paint - mud is inevitable when we churn and aren't decisive in our choices of color and stroke.  Colors build up and layers build up that end up losing the fresh clarity of confidence.  So, in between the spin cycle of working on the swimmers, I'm doing these small studies.  They are an attempt to get over the finish line with clear colors and confidence without the churn of overworking things.   Practice, practice, practice... its true.

31 comments:

  1. Your colors in these faces are so rich and beautiful! Really beautiful work, spin cycle or no.

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  2. Love them even more than last week. I am so good at churning colours- that's why I love oil pastels so much. Happy PPF.

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  3. Marji, I loved your swimmers and I love these three studies. In fact, they are complete and beautiful, as far as I am concerned. I agree about overworking. When I was doing oil painting, I had to be constantly on the lookout for mud. It always seems to creep up on one.

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  4. Great studies and beautiful artwork. Happy PPF, Annette x

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  5. I love the expressions you've captured here, they look complete to me.

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  6. Love the different head positions you're trying out. :)

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  7. Great studies, they look confident and loose. And fresh.

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  8. Marji your studies are fantastic-so much depth to them!! Time to get out of the spin cycle :) Happy PPF!

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  9. A wonderful faces. I like that format in Polaroyd.

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  10. I always love visiting here! These faces are fabulous but I love the fellow!! Painting is a little like life, if you try to control things too much it just gets muddied up! It's better to let it flow and not be too contrived, that way it presents what is meant to be! Many times there are surprises in the mix too!!

    You have the most amazing style, don't be too hard on yourself! Happy ppf!!

    Hugs Giggles

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  11. Love your faces I think the guy is amazing. I so understand where you are coming from, I often fall into the trap of over thinking my paintings. over the years I've learned to walk away for a bit and look at them with fresh eyes and the answer stares you in the face.

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  12. PUT THE BRUSH DOWN! haha...I love the way you call it the spin cycle. I know exactly what you mean. Love the guy and girl on the right. Love the polaroid presentation too. Keep you the good work.

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  13. methinks you are a perfectionist! Lovely portrait works here.

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  14. These are very well done ~ Wonderful! ~
    understand about 'practicing' ~ only way I can improve ~ just made 'tacky' stuff lately for the source ~ church holiday fair ~ will get going now on more professional like stuff ~ yet even the small stuff helps ~ You are very talented and show wonderful art work ~ (A Creative Harbor) ^_^

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  15. the expressions are great and I totally get the practising thing... I love what you are doing and pushing yourself to improve...xx

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  16. I love your swimmers and theses faces are very very good too. I enjoyed reading about your "spin cycle" but hope I never get so good that I fall into that mode. LOL
    I let well enough (for me) alone. It's okay. (with me) I keep hoping that if I just keep doing it this (my) way I'll eventually just get better automatically.
    no? Oh! Oh well, HPPF anyway!

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  17. And these you call studies? They are perfect tiny paintings!

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  18. I agree with Lindsay: these might have started as studies but they're way more than that. Great idea to stop working on your swimmers for a while to keep from overworking it. Just looking at it for a few days usually helps me on deciding what else it needs and when I can call it done.

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  19. Practice does help. And enjoying the practice helps even more. Your faces are wonderful. I always look at your work, read what you write, and then go back to look again. It is obvious that there is lots of love in your practice. Beautiful.

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  20. Yes, practice is the key! Your work is so beautiful, I love seeing what you are doing and how you progress. Your writing brings me along on your journey. I love the term "realm of unsurity." It has a great ring to it and speaks SO much to how we end up in our art. Happy PPF!

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  21. Looks like they have a very touchable texture--


    I'm having a giveaway over at Art in the Garage to celebrate my 1000th post--hope you can stop by and leave a comment!

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  22. i love the 3 pieces and completely understand the spin cycle. I didn't have a term for that stage but that fits perfectly!
    cheers, dana

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  23. I think the hardest thing to learn about any form of art is when to stop futzing and leave it alone. That was probably the most important thing I took away from the painting classes I've had lately.

    I think your faces always have so much character, leaving them a bit rough and unfinished allows us to fill in with whatever we want to see.

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  24. These are great.. they have such form and character. Surely they are finished:)

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  25. I have struggled with that fine line so many times- just the right amount of finishing touches without pushing it too far. I loved your swimmers when you last posted them and am looking forward to seeing them when you are finished with them!

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  26. Practice makes perfect. These look great tho. HPPF

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  27. Your faces look great I think. I practice faces a lot as well, and I'm seldom really happy with them. However, I do like how each face, not matter how "perfect" or imperfect gets its very own expression.

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  28. They are so wonderful! I am stunned! I hope to practize more in colors in faces too, one day.. like you did here. :)

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  29. Faces are difficult. I like the 3 faces, they are each different in their own way with personality. . . quite a feat. Blessings, Janet PPF

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