Friday, May 29, 2009

Mozart or Beethoven??


Capt. Hook in progress, 4" x 4"

It's said that Mozart could sit down and compose even the most complex symphonic music without hesitation and produce a flawless score, free of corrections. Beethoven, on the other hand, was said to struggle with everything he wrote, suffering through multiple revisions of scores (with much wailing and gnashing of teeth) before he considered them finished.

I am definitely a Beethoven. I seldom put a wash down on my paper and walk away satisfied with the results. Revisions pile on top of revisions. Colors get pushed around, shifted in hue, and lifted back to reveal what I want my painting to say. There are probably times when I should just hang it up and start over, but I'm too stubborn to admit defeat.


So it is with the current small painting. Paint has been washed on, scrubbed off, painted over until I'm tired of looking at it. I've started modelling parts of the bird into the third dimension, but there are still lots of details needed to complete the painting. Masking fluid has been removed from around the eye and on the body, but not from the beak at this point. I thought I'd show you where I am with it tonight and then I'll do one more post when it's finished.

6 comments:

  1. I'm a Beethoven that would love to be a Mozart...

    This little painting is looking great - I'm sure it will be a masterpiece when you are finished!

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  2. Cappy looks like a quizzical bird, Chris! Love it - don't give up. Thank goodness for those of us too stubborn to give up - what would the world be without people who refuse to quit? :) Give yourself some rest for it if it's bothering you - then come back refreshed and ready to go again.

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  3. Hi Rhonda -- the trouble is that I cross the line into obsessive involvement at some point. We may be there now!! ;-D

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  4. Diahn, I'm right there with you. No do-overs -- what a concept!!

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  5. You truly are your worst critic!!! The bird looks great from here! Very "ceramic-like" - very "salt-shaker-like".
    You are very neat in your process, thanks for showing that.
    p.s. if you really hate him, ship him off to me - I'll take good care of him!!

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  6. Strictly self-protection, Deb!! That way I'm not likely to be surprised by somebody else's criticism!! ;-D

    Actually, I go through a phase like this with every creative effort -- just a matter of being too close to it I think. It's this more-or-less adolescent stage a painting goes through that makes me question what I'm doing. When something is finished, I am almost always pleased with it.

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