What do I want to say?

Elizabeth, my teacher, asks me continually what I want to say. And I have no answer. I know that I want to create something beautiful. But as to what I want to say with it, I haven't a clue.

It is said that some artists try to "work through" their particular pain with their art. Perhaps I should try that. Make it a question, a search, a challenge to find answers through painting.

Strangely, it sounds trite to work on profound questions. Even embarassing. Nevertheless, if I could work out how to do it, such painting would certainly be true to myself.

Let's give it a shot.

Responding to Orange Sky, Purple Mountains.

Elizabeth insisted that I analyze my reaction to my paintings, as guidance. So, why do I love the painting below? First, the colors are fascinating to me: bright red-orange, tempered by dull violet and dull yellow-green, outlined by dark raw umber. I don't know what attracts me to the colors!

I like the drawing through the painting, outlining, highlighting, sometimes changing the shapes of the colors. This makes to pour more clearly intentional. I like the solution I found to the overabundance of orange-red and yellow; i.e. the pale violet-blue markings that subdue it, without making it duller.

I like the Asian feeling, which I made a bit cartoonish by adding the calligraphic marks on the left. I later took them out. Why, though, even without the marks does it feel Asian? Most viewers had the same feeling. I want very much to repeat that in future paintings. I also want to create more color combinations that give the same response.

So far, after about 10 paintings, I have not managed to do either! Instead, I found myself using pours in other ways. I have built up a good vocabulary of pours and strokes, using combs and other texture makers. Each time I was trying for a repeat, and each time I moved in a different direction. This is dire.

Orange Sky, Purple Mountains

I have been on my own always of course. But now I have a direction. I have only to follow it, not a simple matter for one who is eminently distractable.

Nonetheless, her directive is to create a group of paintings that are similar in style. Or perhaps several groups? You see, I am already diverging! My last work, see below, is of sufficient complexity and interest to keep me going for at least four paintings. Then, we will see. I must remember that the key, for myself, at that point, will be to change in very small ways, so that new paintings will remain sufficiently similar in style to the rest.

Painting critques are welcome.

Take care for today...