Monday, July 3, 2023

The appearance of a face

I have a pile of A3 canvases in my office. Once in a while I put a layer of paint down with a credit card, brush, or other objects. Then I'm ready for ideas.  

This one seemed like it could be a landscape - maybe a long field with the sky above? Maybe a river or sun clinging off water between crops? I let it sit for months, walking by and wondering what would become of it. I turned it every which way but it didn't speak to me at all.
One day, I mixed red, yellow, and white on a sheet of plastic, using a 1" house-painting brush. I began to apply lines and blocks on the canvas. Still nothing. But wasn't that flesh-colored?
And a face began to appear. I used markers to define eyes and other features. And let it go after 5 minutes. If she speaks to me, I'll adjust her face and mouth. Otherwise, she may be done.