Section 9-Eye of God

The sketch

Figures done, blue being put in

I  was amazed to get some painting done during Christmas week. I was satisfied that I was able to keep busy and not let the holidays bog down my production.

I really wanted to do a do a silly and more immature panel. I needed a college hazing part two.  They're putting diapers on each others heads and having a rowdy good time. With this picture I really wanted the main emphasis to be the Animal House like mood of the piece. I decided to do three main circles in the middle of the picture as a storytelling and compositional tool. In my sketch I expected trees. But the sketch was different than the panel. In the sketch the three circles reached more of the bottom of the sketch. When I painted I put the circles more in the middle. I had more space to deal with. At first I started painting trees. Within two minutes of painting the trees I changed my mind. The picture looked too heavy. I decided I wanted to have more of a light and weightless state. So I painted

clouds instead. Clouds generally never fail.  I think of Bob Haozous who used clouds as a main staple in his work.There's a lot to be said about them. I think it's because clouds are very meditative and all encompassing. There's a wonder and  a great awe-inspiring marvellousness.

The sketch

The main figures skin painted in

The characters and frame done

   I drew the eye and lips of the main character and I realized I wanted blond hair on him.I hadn't done peroxide blond yet. I've done some blond highlights in some of the works. They looked somewhat campy. I  really think the hair adds an air of weirdness. It reminds me of the Wallace and Ladmo painting I did a month ago with Gerald in a similar hair style. With this picture I wanted to remain simple with trees and a couple of figures. Two of the three characters in front have black hair. I still wanted to retain that essential Egyptian look. But I also added a sandy blonde person to balance the picture.  I wanted a soft muted grey look for the trees. I was reminded of Luc Tuymans while doing the trees. He has that type of color palette in his pictures. The picture seemed a little stagnant.I did away with the symmetry and added a frame on the right side. It adds a bit of a jolt to the work.

Section 8 -Eye of God

The sketch

Figure done

Painting done

I wanted another figure with blond hair lights. I also wanted to have a potpourrish bouquet of flower. The angels were believe it or not influenced by El Greco.  However this piece is meant to be light and blithesome.  I chose a soft blue and pastel colros for the background. I also chose the back of the angels as it is an unusual pose for an angel.

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 El Greco angel

The sketch

Blue layer

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Red layer

Figure done

I wanted a central jolly figure. Amongst him are goofy pudgy angels..I hadn't painted the trees in a long time. The angels are having a swell time and two angels are sitting on the trees. Happy clouds circle along the frame on the left side giving the picture a pleasant presence.

the sketch

Add red layer

Humans done

Finished painting
This painting has more of a naive art feeling. But I like the simple shapes and flatness.  I again had the two person composition that the first post has. I like the upfront pose the main figure has. He looks squarely right at you. Also I added a circle right in the middle of the picture. Usually the circles are snug towards the top. It adds an unexpected element to the work.

Section 7 Eye of God



Sketch of painting

Black then blue than red layer

Working on person, some landscape in, and golden frames

Finished painting

This week was the week of duds. I went through two paintings and a lot of what I did didn't turn out right which means I'll have to sand the crap out of them later and start anew. But the duds are part of the process. Also I have done 16 of these circles, expect at least 1/3 of them to not be masterpieces.

The piece I have above is the one that survived this week.

I wanted the idea of an open landscape sectioned off by frames. Originally I did the figure and did

multiple twin like figures. But I liked the idea of this figure being alone. The landscape with all the hills reminds me of Grant Wood. He was an expert with this type of bountiful and lush scenery. 

I also continued with the idea of the golden frames having just land as the subject. It's beautiful that the minor part of a painting can be recognized just as much as the portrait.

The composition is made more complex by the frame around the circle. It would be very bland if it was just the four frames in the center. The frame around it gives it a distinguished and honorable appearance

Grant Wood landscape

Section 6 Eye of God

The drawing

Black and then blue layer

Red and then add line markings

The figures painted

The blue sky added

Picture done

I started the picture with a sketch of a group of men with 1950's greaser's hair styles.I wanted to add a kitsch as well as out of nowhere and extraneous element.Also the 1950s is just plain fun. Greasy diners and soda jerks. Great fun. Around them are figures more Persian and Egyptian like. The figures on the side of the painting are not frontal like the other panel figures are. With the figures on the right I wanted to include eccentric hair styles. They have hair in the middle of their head and tiny mustaches. They are more three quarter views with more agitated posture. Their diapers face forward from behind
I wanted to add a sky but not have it be clouds. The shape with the suns looks a little bit like a  tympanum. I wanted to manifest a Medieval church look. In the bottom half I wanted to echo the shape of the inside of the tympanaum. Except the shape around it is more of an ellipse.  I think it upsets the painting and gives it an off balance.
Trees decorate the top and bottom of the picture and give an ornate display.

The figures painted in

Paintings done

The painting started with the sketch of the big guy on the left. I started with the eye which was Egyptian but the more I painted him he looked less Egyptian and more like a gladsome

  Greek god. He ended up with brown hair. On the side of him I attached an appendage creature. 

I kept the sketch  but didn't know what to do with it.Two days later I thought about the cup bearers. When I think of Egyptians I think of the slaves in the movie The Ten Commandments They are backbreaking and exhausted  and always have a job to do I thought of a group of men in a sort of half circle carrying a rope. I liked the idea of a circle  because circles are friendly and agreeable.It also echos the bigger shape that is the circle.

 l like the idea of  showing undemanding tasks. When  people think of Egyptians they think stone carrier and more manly tasks.

I painted the same grass scene but decided to add water. It occurred to me I needed to include more water elements because of the Nile River or the Red Sea. It's sixth grade History and I've unintentionally omitted it. I didn't want it to be a big lake. I added a little stream that follows the people in the half circle. 

I included some green trees in the background.to give the the picture an exotic locale.

Ouline

Add black layer

Add blue layer then red layer

One figure painted in the other started

All figures painted in

Figures painted in and some landscape

Painting done

I drew the first two figures first.The figures skin looks more ethnic than the rest of my figures in this series. This occurs a lot in my my work. When I was 19 I was obsessed with murals. Most of my art from that period embraced multiculturalism and a fascination with Chicano art. I love the positivity that goes with art like William Walkers Wall of Respect and other contemporary murals with the same subject. I painted a lot of people with various skin tones. I love the opaque and saturated color, also richness of tones. It's an unconscious theme I have, but one that when people comment on it I gladly respond that I have an appreciation of painting all people.

work when I was 19

In the center of the painting I wanted to continue the idea of the group of men being rope carriers. I again am repeating how monotonous tasks can be beautiful ..The five to four men team are placed in the composition  in the middle of the picture similar to the first painting on this blog post. This is because I want some similar figural groupings throughout the room when the pieces are hung. Although I don't want to continue the figure placement in the next upcoming paintings because it would be too repetitive.
I chose to continue the landscape in the first painting of this blog post. There's something to be said about the simple black outline of a sun. It's straightforward and uncomplicated. The sun is attached to the water and seems merged with the water. There are little suns in the middle of the picture to add more landscape interest in the work.
When I painted the water on the top  it was originally sectioned off and framed. But it felt awkward and not free. I decided to leave water floating. The bottom of the painting includes water as well.
I added little gold frames. I love the idea of a frame whose sole identity is being a decorative frame and not something that displays.
I decided to add hills again as a landscape feature.

Section 5-Eye of God

Outline in black, and then blue

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Outline in red then line markings of yellow. Some characters are  rendered.

More characters are done.

All characters are done.

Painting is finished.

I started the sketch with the idea of college hazing, but it is not dark but stupid and playful. Figures are running around with diapers on their heads, some hold their diapers above their stomachs. I wanted one figure to be distinct from the rest. One figure on the top right even smashes his head unto the grass with his diaper above his stomach. I didn't paint the hair black or dark brown because I wanted the hair an autumn orange. This panel is about the camaraderie and mischievousness that occurs in a heavenly state. I believe that are an assortment of both pranks and games, and not all of heaven is grim and serious.

The sketch

Layer of black then blue then red

On an earlier sketch I had sketched some angels. They are mannish angels with long skinny bodies flying overhead with wings like clouds. I originally had these figures in a sketch I decided to throw away but I saved the section. They are not the generic heavenly figures and appear human and common. Overhead I painted some hybrid angels again instead this time they are more like humans with the wings of a bird. At the bottom of the painting I painted some mini gods. They look like a little bit like Siegfried from Siegfried and Roy with the perfect blond hair and a glamorous and sleek look.

The main attraction is the architectural frame which looks like the inside of a Gothic church  There is almost a theatricality and grandeur to it .The frames move upward  to the top which looks like an glorious apse. The sides of the frames contains little tree scenes.