Wet Canvas 1 - Creating 'Anchors
Out'
As
an artist who paints every
day there is always the
possibility of slipping into
a rut. I don't because every
day offers a new opportunity
to discover new effects and
different ways of energizing
a painting. The one thing
that keeps me at the
coalface is the unexpected
jumping up and grabbing me
by the throat. About 2
weeks back I thought I would
sidestep the background in a
cowboy painting to
accentuate the drama.
The cowboy is a mate of mine,
Joel, who lives high on a
mountain plain above the valley
in which the Colorado River
meanders its way westward to
Grand Junction from Glenwood
Springs. I was there last Fall
and asked Joel if he could run
his horse flat chat and pull him
up as if there was a chasm in
front of him that appeared
suddenly. This he did with
startling dare and horsemanship.
The only one who was on the edge
was me! I did think he would be
launched into space at the rate
he was going together with the
anchor he laid on the speeding
steed beneath him.
 |
Joel in full flight |
Now I’ve seen a few cowboys in
my time and most are weekenders
who can saddle up and do a few
turns here and there then
dismount and suck on a piece of
grass and fantasize about what
it must be really like to really
be a cowboy. Trouble is if they
knew how hard a life it is in a
saddle, day in and day out over,
30 years they wouldn’t trade I’m
pretty sure.
Joel can ride and fits ‘other
work’ around his horses and
mules.
On another occasion I had the
privilege of watching Joel break
in the biggest mule I have ever
seen. It was bloody huge even by
American standards of hamburger
size!
Anyhow back to the painting. So
Joel took off and bolted down
the dirt track at breakneck
speed then hit the anchors!
 |
Joel following some
scary instructions |
I snapped away with my camera
after a few trial runs down the
track to get ‘warmed up’ he
said. The 400 ASA film married
to my 200mm 2.8 lens stopped it
all nicely as can be seen in the
photo above. Although the photograph
was great it needed special
treatment- thus the switch in
style.
 |
‘Anchors Out’ 40" x
40” |
The heavy non-descript
background provided a curtain
for drama. So in I went with
cerulean blue, burnt sienna and
light red. These work well in
many situations.
 |
The triad
combination of
cerulean blue, burnt
sienna and light red
are a very versatile
color scheme. |
The light and airy painting of
girls in a field below is done
with the same scheme, believe it
or not. I write about all this
and tons more in my new book
‘Everything you Absolutely Must
Know to be a Successful Artist
Before you Die’. You can find
some excerpts of this book in
My Books which should make
you think a bit especially if
you have any aspirations of
success-personal or monetary!
 |
'Freedom Of The
Moment' 60" x 40"
A
loose, light and
airy painting |
So there you are, 2 paintings
that look completely different
yet come from the same 3 colors.
Don't forget to checkout the
Completed
Works gallery and the
Future Gallery. |
