Sunday, May 30, 2010

Horse


This is the first oil + cold wax painting I've completed. It's 12" x 12", on museum panel. Every new layer is usually an entirely new incarnation, which I find a strange painting experience. (This one had maybe ten layers.) I have several other oil + cold wax paintings in progress. "...In progress" meaning I don't like any of them at all so far...meaning, I need to keep putting on more layers until they improve.


Sold.



My crazy boy. He really knows how to infuse style into his naps.





More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

16 comments:

SamArtDog said...

Love the wax. I'd say stop there, but I know you won't.

Crop Rumi's background. (No, I don't know how, Miss Photoshop.)

word v -- nestlark

Defines the Rumster's pose nicely.

Jala Pfaff said...

Sam - You do indeed have "head in clouds." It says on my post that it is a completed painting. As in, done. As in, finished. Glad you like it.
Rumi's background makes the pic.
Nestlark...love it.

ArtPropelled said...

As a teenager I had an ex racehorse, re-named Chestnut. I could feel him in this painting.

..... and I feel just like Rumi this morning!

Sonya Johnson said...

Jala, this oil + cold wax media is intriguing and very cool! I love the earthy palette you used, and the energy from the "scribble" type lines that are directly visible and seen through the oranges. Are those textural/impasto-like from the wax, or just paint? I think I need to see these in person at some point :).

I have a friend that works in encaustic wax and that was fascinating to me as well. I hope you have luck converting some of your "in-progress" paintings to completed ones. I feel your pain there.

I think of all the amazing things I could do if my spine was as flexible and bendy as Rumi's there...good grief! Silly cat.

Fernando Pena said...

Hola Jala, seguramente estoy corto de imaginación o el caballo se me escapó del cuadro. Sea como sea te digo que me gusta el resultado.
Saludos

Jala Pfaff said...

Hi Robyn - Thank you, I'm happy the painting spoke to you. ...You feel like Rumi? As in, super flexible and silly?

Hi Sonya - Absolutely you must see some of these things in person. And I must see your work too! You are moving to CO at some point, yes? Durango, is it? A small trip will have to be in order.
There were a lot of layers but each layer is quite thin, and the whole of them is still a thin layer total...not like most encaustics I've seen where it's very thick and chunky. This is somehow in between what an encaustic might look like, and just plain thin paint layers would look like.
I know, wouldn't it be nice to have one's spine bend and twist like that? Yogis everywhere are jealous.

Hola Fernando - Ja, me has hecho reir. Bueno, entoncies he hecho bien, porque solo queria apenas sugerir la forma de un caballo, no mostrarlo por si. Pero si necesitas "ver"lo, mira: tiene la cabeza hacia la derecha del cuadro, y tiene un cuello muy largo; la "cabeza" (no muy formada) llega a, y penetra, a la raya marrona... incluso se ve tal vez tambien la forma de una persona a caballo...?lo ves?

Trevor Lingard said...

Hi Jala
This is a fasinating process.
Very contemporary.I like the mood of this work.
Kind Regards

Jala Pfaff said...

Thank you, Trevor, nice to see you here.

Sonya Johnson said...

Interesting! The cold wax sounds like it's almost like glazing, then; the effect is similar (at least in the photo). And less toxic than Liquin, which is what I used to use.

Yes, Durango it is! And now, it's just a bit over 6 weeks until we move (July 16). Visits are in order, definitely. I think it's a 5-hr drive between Boulder and Durango, but it's beautiful, so that totally works for me.

The Rumi, aka "Gumby", picture is making me laugh all over again.

Katherine van Schoonhoven said...

Oh, to be a cat! Sleep and flexibility -- quite the life. Cold wax? Interesting textures and depth.

Jala Pfaff said...

Hi Sonya, you must be so excited to be moving soon! Colorado in July is hot but dry and gorgeous.
Gumby says hi.
The cold wax used as a medium gives a slightly thicker layer than plain glazing, hence one is able to do the little bits of scratchings. It also gives a matte effect...which normally I don't like but am maybe starting to get used to.

Jala Pfaff said...

Hi Katherine - It is a very interesting process, using the cold wax medium. I'm still intrigued and learning more about how it works.
I want to be a pampered housecat in my next life.

Melinda said...

Nice work here, Jala! I love the scratching and the composition. Ten layers?! You've got more patience than you think.

Jala Pfaff said...

Hi Melinda, thanks! It's not at all about having patience. It's about not liking what I'm making...so I have to keep putting new layers on until finally I like it.

Karen Bruson said...

This wax has a cool effect. It probably has a lot more depth and texture in real life than shows in the photo.
Love the infused style.

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

Interesting painting, I like the texture of it. I like the idea of using wax with oils, would love to see more :)