After a lot of frustration trying to represent images and memories from the "blue town" of Chefchaouen, Morocco, I finally made a breakthrough. This one and another one (which I'll post soon) were done after a long night of pasteling where I wasted a lot of pigment and a lot of expensive paper, but remained unsatisfied with everything I'd done.
I was shutting down the studio and getting ready to go to bed, but I couldn't stand the unsatisfied feeling. I grabbed a small sheet of the new PastelMat that I'd ordered, went back to the ever-dusty pastel table, grabbed some colors that felt right, and instantly whipped out something I am totally happy with. Go figure.
I think it's a case in point of how sometimes what appears to be the simplest, most naive artwork is in fact a distillation of many previous and more detailed/complicated works, where one shaves away and refines until finally something very elemental emerges. Oh, the struggle to get to that place, that elemental place where I want to stay!
Oh, Miss Lemon. How you love to sit on kittens.
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11 comments:
Wow... I saw this in the thumbnail in my dashboard and it is even more powerful seeing it here. Bravo!
Es así Jala, lo simple termina siendo lo que nos impacta, pero no siempre podemos lograrlo. Me alegra que hayas quedado satisfecha con el trabajo.
Y gracias por los gatitos de siempre
Saludos
Thanks, Sheila! That's cool, that it has impact at various sizes. That's definitely not always the case.
Hola Fernando, Se' que te encantan los gatitos. Pienso en ti cuando pongo las fotos y videos. De verdad! Artisticamente, estamos de acuerdo, yo diria, en cuanto a lo importante de lo sencillo.
You're so right about the simplicity factor being distilled down, Jala. That's one way you can tell a bad piece of abstraction from one that knocks your socks off. I do like this one. And that Miss Lemon - too much! Yet the kitties seem to like it.
It's gorgeous, Jala! Really dynamic colors and composition, love it!!
Love this simple shape and the simple color scheme. It's funny how an idea will not let go of you sometimes. Lucky you to find the right expression of it AND still get some sleep!
Jala, you are so, so right. I seem to get near that elemental place and then things drag me back again (to the busy place). I'll have to try some 'middle of the night' work. Love this painting, the colours and shapes are a knockout.
So you got some PastelMat. Seems so untextured after La Carte (which eats my stix). How do you like it? Looks mighty fine on this latest Chefchaouen!
Your "touch" looks good on the PastelMat, Jala, and I like the strong shapes and rich color here. Your comment about lots of time and materials on things that disappoint certainly resonates with me - it's certainly the price we pay for those happy moments when things go smoothly and the results are pleasing. Oh, and my wife Kyoko is loving all the photos of Miss Lemon, Rumi, and Lynx.
Excellent! I am glad you kept at it. Sometimes the mind just needs to get warmed up and have a go with many tries before it all comes together, and it does here.
Liz
Great color and mood... Love the kitties, of course!
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