I’m gonna talk about one of my own pieces that I recently finished. If that doesn’t interest you, you may quit reading if you like.
This is a little 12"X12" piece, one out of of three, that I did for a friend in San Diego. If any of my work survives after my death, I hope this one is a work I’ll be remembered for.
I know it may not appear to be much, but I’ll describe how it came about and hopefully give some insight into how I look at paintings and how I construct my own.
A little background…this is Coco the shih-tzu. He’s one of few dogs I feel I can actually connect with (dogs do like me, but I’m not really a dog person) because he’s a little low-energy couch potato and very laid back. He doesn’t bark or jump on you, and is very sweet.
Let’s start out at 15-20 feet away. First, I cannot take credit for the reference photo this was painted from. Coco’s owner took this shot, but I love how the composition works. I noticed this immediately.
The thing that I notice first is the geometry of the composition. Straight lines and angles surround the soft curved shape of his body and and fur. He’s a little bifurcated heart shape within a sunburst pattern (part of the background behind seen in the floor and the cabinet behind him). I see repetition in the echoes of the angles and curves.
I chose to alter the coloring to fit something close to a square color scheme, with a very earthy green, alazarin crimson, mustard yellow/orange, and blue. The natural colors are similar, but had a great vibe that reminded me of some of the muted color harmonies of a few of my favorite painters from the first half of the 1900’s, like Walt Kuhn.
Closer in, about 10 feet away…I tried to keep a slight expressionist feel without losing a sense of realism. Again, influences are Kuhn, Leon Kroll, Don Bachardy, Matisse. I tried to keep myself from using small brushes, and refused to let myself get bogged down in minute details. I also tried to employ a loose, impasto stroke that feels natural and not overly-controlled.
Five feet in…Here is where I utilized a few sparse details, like gently highlighting the reflection in his deeply buried eyes. It’s my hope the viewer can sense the intelligence there.
I hope this hasn’t seemed too much like mental masturbation to you all, but I think the breakdown of my paintings is something I’m going to try posting to Instagram and see if people like it.
ETA: Is anyone tilting their head as they look at this? I find myself doing it. It draws you into that gaze with his nose being the central point.
