I LIKE DRESSING MY WOMEN

This week began as I looked at my painting called “Autumn“, started over a year ago.  It was hanging on the dining room wall in my home.  My wife has been saying, “Why don't you just call it finished.”  Well, I couldn’t, it wasn’t finished.  I needed to complete the details, add a belt buckle, complete the lapel and pocket design, one of her shoes needed to be little larger, shadows added, and most importantly her face and hair needed revising to have her come alive. 

While I had the canvas to begin “All Parts Matter”, my painting “Autumn”, the fourth in the series, “Women of the Four Seasons” needed to be finished.  Every day I looked at “Autumn”, I felt that she was calling out “When are you going to finish my parts so I can come alive?”  “All Parts Matter” could wait another week.  Afterall, “Autumn” has been waiting for all of her parts far too long.

I took “Autumn” off the wall and drove to the studio, Open Sky Studio and Gallery.  When I carried “Autumn” into our studio, Suzanne, my studio partner, said, “You are finally going to finish “Autumn”?  I felt guilty.  I counted the months and indeed it had been over 11 months since I had touched “Autumn” and over 15 months since I gave birth to her.

As with most of my paintings and all of the works for this series, I do not work from photographs or models.  My creative spirits suggest a painting in my mind or inspire me to find my painting in the canvas.  “Autumn’ is a product of both. In my mind she would be walking in a city park in the Fall when the leaves are on fire. What she looked like and what she would wear had to come from the canvas.

I start by sketching what I know.  Then finding the paint colors I think I need, mixing them one by one as I add them on the canvas, experimenting with feelings.  I am always waiting for the beginning of feeling to tell me my next strokes.  Adding and changing shapes and colors until I get that one incredible feeling that tells me, “You have it, now don’t screw it up”. 

I don’t want to screw it up by doing too much or too little to lose what brought about that wonderful feeling. There are several “feelings” that occur upon reaching a milestone during the painting process. Each one brings joy to me and laughter from Suzanne. That’s because I celebrate my joy by singing and doing a little dance or two. I just can’t help it. I love painting, singing and dancing. Better at painting than the other two.

Each of my women has a “look” in her structure, face, hair, eyes and lips, that give her the attitude I want but has to be different from the other women.  I like “dressing them” with clothes I create inspired by fashion that I have noticed or imagined.  My wife is fashionable. We talk fashion, and I even go shopping with her to “respectfully “ make suggestions.  However, in paintings, I can “safely” dress my women as I wish.  

I am fortunate that my studio partner, Suzanne, was a fashion illustrator and costume designer in New York . She always has a helpful opinion when asked, often in the form of questions. Questions, “what is she going to being doing with her hands”, “where is the light coming from”  and “what style and color hair will she have”.  These questions are important and it helps to discuss them. Ultimately, after considering all, I create what I want. 

I wanted Autumn’s jacket to be green.  Why would I pick a true green jacket for the fall instead one of the Fall colors?  Well, because it is what I felt she would wear. Autumn is confident in who she is, as all my women in the series. The green shows her strength in being independent and free to be; it also brings attention to the rest of her outfit.

I chose dark red lipstick to give a power look;  short hair for “I am all business”; a very little smile for “don’t take me too seriously” and gave her sunglasses to add a little mystery to beg the question, “who is she”.  

The jigsaw/cutout like patterns on her slacks celebrate her uniqueness for others to see.  Her shoes, of course, have to be high heels to complete her look. 

Except for a few "touch ups" "Autumn" has all her parts. Your comments please.

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Until then please Stay Safe and Happy

PERCY