Cat 3

Cat 3.
Acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 16".

Yikes!  I thought I would improve with practice, and I'm actually getting worse. What happened?


Sadly, this looks like a rather bad folk art piece- not a direction that appeals to me.
I attempted to emulate Lizzy's actual coat color, a dilute calico with tabby stripes ghosting in areas. A complex mix of gray, orange and black.
The forms are stiff, frozen, and stylized. I lost any unity I had started with, but ended up with some interesting possibilities in the stripe patterns on her tail, and how the stripes repeated in the curtains. Also an interesting mix of hard and soft textures.



 

Cat 2

Cat 2.
Acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 16".

Here I tried the same image with a looser approach, not getting so wrapped up with details and did not allow myself to look at a reference while I worked.
I find it uninteresting, sloppy, and the distortions bother me. Every time I look at this I want to make corrections. But I like the under painting colors bleeding through.
One early bit of training I have to get past is that of applying smooth layers of color, and avoiding any indication of brushstrokes. I think this originated from instructions on painting interior walls, and dad putting a final coat of paint or stain on his various projects.

Cat 1

Cat 1.
Acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 16".

After a lot of hedging around, I finally started painting after a two decade break of working in a deadline driven corporate environment. I rarely had the time or energy to work on my own things. My focus had always been drawing and for years I had the intention of  learning how to work with paint and color, but never seemed to get around to it in a focused way.
Some of these initial paintings are downright embarrassing for me to show here but I found it interesting to watch the progression, and the awkward beginnings are a part of it.

I'm running the risk of being labeled as another kooky cat person because my cat "Lizzy" ended up as the main subject in this series. She is an accessible model, challenging enough to keep my interest, and not inclined to complain if I make her look too fat or too hairy. I use a combination of photo and live model as my sources. Lizzy likes to sit by me as I work, and occasionally walks across the paint. I'm pretty certain there are a lot of cat hairs stuck in some of the paintings.


My specific goal with these paintings was to get back in the habit of making pictures for the simple reason that I enjoy it. Out of necessity, I also needed to learn how to work in a smaller format (in inches instead of feet). This was a real struggle, trying to stay within the bounds of a small area instead of a large canvas. For some reason I have no problems scaling up to a larger size, and a lot of trouble scaling down.
Using a small digital picture as a reference, I mentally scaled that up to get started and that trick worked.

Another goal was to work on my composition skills, and move beyond a specific portrait of a head floating in the center of the paper. I have a tendency to become too interested in rendering a specific object without giving much consideration to the context or environment that surrounds it. Trying to retrofit a background is usually a disjointed disaster.
I want to try some different approaches and techniques. I figure if I did enough on the same subject, the shear boredom would force me to do something different and advance.
 
I'm finding it's very helpful to look at the paintings presented in this format as it changes my perception. I see  things that I missed looking at the actual piece. Perhaps a result of the ambiguous scale, or without the peripheral distractions.
This is also forcing me to do some thinking about what I did, and why I did it.
When I start a painting the possible directions I can take it are virtually endless, and through due course I have to settle on a particular direction. In analyzing each, I often become aware of an element or action that proves to be helpful for working on the next piece. On a good day, I get an idea I want to try on the next painting before the current one is finished. On a bad day it dead ends and I am stuck.