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A Series.  Serious business…painting well, producing several paintings, the emerging theme, a unifying look, my inner vision, the titles, and commercial considerations. 

In the past months I have painted nine paintings, six of which are not yet on my website. The first was an interpretation of a photo I took in Russia of folks standing in line with red straps presumably affixed to a stanchion.  Ah…a line of people with red lines.  The next painting was a line of people crossing a street with crosswalk lines. More lines.  The next painting shows several  people sitting on a long park bench.  Another line. I thought, "I'm thinking about lines"… Linear Thinking! 

Then I made several more paintings.  I noticed that the park bench painting just didn't fit.  Nor did the painting of the people walking in the park.  The band (Friday Night Live Too) was certainly out of line.  These are all bright and cheery, but without notable lines.  Okay, I have some individual, cheery paintings for my website. 

However, the remaining paintings do form a series.  They have graphic lines, minimal background, and urban suggestions.  Linear Thinking was there all along.  So, as a check, I asked myself "What is the definition of linear thinking"?  Since I am not inclined to research with academic integrity, I searched for a self-serving answer and found "Linear thinking is a step by step approach to solving a problem or completing a task."  How perfect…painting literal lateral lines, people walking and stepping, my sequential process of creating a series. 

As my artist statement indicates, I paint figures in public spaces. I am interested in human interaction or lack thereof. The graphic lines in the Linear Thinking series imply boundaries, rules, and choices. They add definition, delineation, and direction to the human narrative. And, finally, I think lines are an essential design element in the paintings. In other words, the lines support both my internal and aesthetic sensibilities. 

My only concern now is whether my paintings On Cue, The Queue, The Crew, Not a Clue,  Who? and Whew! will have commercial appeal. I just completed a sub-series, Coming Through. I hope to see You at my upcoming exhibit. Seriously.

Summer Stock. In an earlier posting I discussed my figure drawing and painting experiences.  In that article, I focused on my opportunity this summer to create complete paintings from live models.  

Meanwhile, two days ago I saw a listing for the movie The Artist and the Model which, considering my recent figure painting activities, seemed to be a sign of synchronicity.  I went to the film that same day. The artist character is a sculptor who, in seeking artistic perfection, fills his studio with drawings and statues of nude women.  He is literally and figuratively taking stock of his life. As I watched the movie, I thought about what I should do with the new body of work that I created this summer.

I now have six new paintings in my studio.  Conventional wisdom says that nudes don't sell. So, with the exception of the male torso / portrait, these paintings will not go on my website. Instead, today I will critique my paintings and stack them.  I'm offering a quick peek before they go into the closet.

Tomorrow I am off on a two week get-away.  And, to read on my trip, I have downloaded the book The Last Nude by Ellis Avery.  Will this novel be an escapist page turner or merely a reminder of my summer stock?  Back in two weeks...