Sunday, June 6, 2010

Arizona Artist and Diagonals of Tumacacori

This painting went through a number of transitions and the scratching away, wiping off and the additional layers turned out much better than the beginning image. It is 9" x 12," on artists' board. Due to the consensus of my fellow artists' thoughtful comments, I've added some background images. Thank you SamArtDog, Donald Diddams, and Jeane of ARTIT. Update: I was surfing around and found that I am included in Verfhond's Half a Thousand Living Painterly Painters. That's kind of nice. I had to search for my name, but there I was, #94--from my post Paint, Painter, Painted--Art, Artist, Alive. This is the image I used for the scratching, wiping away business. The result, of course, is above.
  First painting of Tumacacori bell tower. I thought this was alright, but a bit boring.
 

18 comments:

SamArtDog said...

Don't know what this looked like before, only that it's fascinating now. I could look at it for a long long time.

Anonymous said...

I agree with samartdog, there is a lot to look at here. I love how the southwestern themes and colors complement the abstract design of the piece. Lots of depth for me with those yellow and orange shapes coming way forward... Exciting!

Jeane Myers said...

don't know what the original looked like, but this is just plain wonderful!

Melinda said...

I was a bit reluctant to show too much process, thinking that final image might be all most would want to see, but I appreciated your interest and your comment so much that I updated the post.

Thank you. I feel the same.

Melinda said...

Hi Don,
Thank you! This painting has been quite the conversation in the studio. I probably destroyed this painting seven times, adding new layers and taking them away. Some of those marks in the sky are razor blade chips into the wood panel behind the linen overlay.

Your work is really wonderful and I hope you are getting lots done in your studio.

Melinda said...

Thank you so much, Jeane. I've had this painting up in the studio for several months wondering if it was done.

I think it is at a good place now.

Anonymous said...

You certainly did yourself proud here. I love the semi-abstract interpretation of the photo. It adds so much more to the piece. And as usual, you chose just the right colors to bring it to life.
Jean

Edgar said...

Your struggles with this image (which came out captivatingly) reminded me of Fritz Scholder, cutting up a big canvas, with evident relish, saying it had "defied" him.

It's nice to always be able to have the last word with your paintings, isn't it?

Melinda said...

Hi Jeane,
Thank you! I love that you enjoy the colors and abstraction. It was a study in experimentation.

Abstracting images are a ton o' fun.

Say, you may enjoy viewing the work of Nancy Tokar Miller. She works in glazing and transparent layers, in paint and, I think watercolor.

Melinda said...

Oh, yeah.

I do see Scholder's influence here, Edgar. Accidental, but now in my DNA.

Thanks.

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Melinda,

This is so wonderful. So cool to see what inspired it, and where you took it. Congratulations on being on the list of Living Painterly Painters. I'd agree. You are.

I like the first painting too.

xoxoxoxoxBarbara

Melinda said...

Hi Barbara,
Thank you so much for your kind comment. It was quite a long process with this painting that nearly succeeded in "defying" me!

Glad you liked it!

Well...yes, I'm still living. And, I do like the sound of painterly painter. Oh yeah.

daviddrawsandpaints said...

Different sides of the same coin - subdued evening light in the second painting which is serene and quiet...then, a blast of the bright sun in a fabulous abstract, high-colored (note the American spelling)exhultation of joy and life! My gawd woman you can do it all!!!!
Dead gallus you are :o)

Melinda said...

Dagnabit, man, you make my day every time you stop by!

Thank you so much, brither David. I've missed your musings and am heading over to yer place and see how colourful you've been.

Now, gaun yersel’, big yin. Gie it laldie with yer brushes!
(Hope that's right...)

;-)

Preparin' t'be more gallus-er!

daviddrawsandpaints said...

Ha ha, verry guid - yer mither could hae bin frae Cowdenbeath!!

Melinda said...

Why, thank you, David! I'll take that as a compliment...
;-}

cohen labelle said...

Hi Melinda
This is another gem of a painting. Your fierce painterly struggle has produced very marvelous results in the rich layering of surface and composition!!!
Marcia

Melinda said...

Oh, yes, Marcia, I fought this baby for months as it tried to "defy" me.

Think I won...

Thank you!