Didn't set out to create a series but found myself pulled in by the way painting one thing—clotheslines, in this case—offered up a focal point that opened doors to discoveries other than the clotheslines themselves—in the case of this series, the particular setting of each clothesline.
I photographed the clothesline represented in Tryin' to Dry in Time because of the shadows cast by the items on the line and the lack of anything particularly challenging in the background. The scene offered up a good way to get my feet wet, and I (re)discovered how important it is to paint what I see in front of me vs. what I see in my mind's eye.
Dappled Drying also had distinct shadows cast by the hanging items but had a challenging backdrop. The huge gift was discovering how to represent some of the iconic elements of Takodah cabins, including the way light and shadow are so intrinsically a part of what makes the simple cabins visually interesting.
With the above paintings under my belt, I moved on to Hanging Out at Cabin C. The scene had no distinctive shadows cast by the drying textiles but by now I recognized the great light and shadows it did have. The ironic discovery of this painting is that it captures Cabin C far more robustly than my previous "portrait" of the cabin. Go figure!
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| Hanging Out at Cabin C 6x6", acrylic on gessobord architecture 2015 [not for sale] |
6 comments:
Love the fully lit field in the background, and the light and shadows in the foreground. Did the towels and bathing suits ever dry?
Can't you just feel the August sunshine on A Field and the cooler air by the cabin? My bathing suit and towel DID dry. Don't know if Caroline's and Emmy's did, nor if they cared!
Dotty, I love what you've got going here, how you've created a painting a day for over a hundred days, and especially the clothes line theme. And your focus on values and shapes is totally on target. Good, solid work! And thank you for looking at what the rest of us are doing and making comments. What a great place the painting community is!
Bobbi, great fun to hear from you. Thanks for your kind feedback and encouragement. I feel largely at sea with values and shapes so your support is most welcome! The painting community is indeed a great place. I've been poking around for several months now but it's just this week that I smacked my forehead and realized I can and would like to comment on others' work that I enjoy and from which I derive inspiration and energy. Are you from Maine originally?
Yes, big difference fro your first painting. But I like that one too. Love the light under the clothes...
Thanks for your comments, Sheila. The light under the clothes is fun, isn't it? Light and shadow and reflection are all so powerful and wonderful!
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