Mugshot 53, Mad Baby and Value Study 8

Above is a mugshot of a mad baby, below is the value study for today.

Mugshot 52, Possible Family Member, Value Studies

The first painting is another mugshot in which I concentrated on stating the values as  strongly as I saw them - harrowing and funny. So much is really dark!  I know this philosophically, but with my eyes, not so much. The rest of the little paintings are all studies, again using pure black and white and 2 other values.  Interesting how much it takes to imprint this way of seeing/painting, I would have thought just having it explained would have made it happen.  Whatever -- it must be grasped!
I also discovered today there is a new format for posting, so these value studies are wandering around on their own. I will figure this out tomorrow.

Value Study 2 and 3

This has been unexpectedly interesting. The still life above had very little white in it and I felt a little panicked at how I was going to get some of the edges to show up...and yet, there they are.

The figure was harder, more info, and with my schmutzing the paint around I probably made a few extra values. Today I have been looking at Jane Freilicher's paintings of flowers in landscapes and noticing the small value range --- never even saw this before.

Mugshot 51, and Value Study 1

The top painting is a mugshot that I set up myself with strong lighting so I didn't have that police glare flattening out all the forms and making hell of my painting life, much much easier to see stuff. And the second little painting, (these always photograph so much better for some reason) is the first of the value studies for the Liz Wiltzen challenge (50 in 30 days). It requires black and white and 2 other values only, so these are quick to do, but I have to say it was really exciting! I felt like I was painting a Philip Guston, so direct, and oh, the heaven of using black from the tube! The most notable issue was this: I had to decide where to shave the value down or up so I could include everything in 4, therefore, I was NOT painting what I saw, but what I decided to see. Verrrrry interrrestinK. And so strong, this little one.

Asters in Orange Vase

Ai yi yi, the values, the values. I set this up in a close color range with lots of shadow to work on this issue. Color complicates value. I think I will have to do some of Liz Wilson's exercises, 50 value studies in 30 days and see if I can't jam this into my brain.

Cemetery Bluebonnets

It's really fun to get a riff going on an image, makes you want to see how many ways you can do it. These bluebonnets are a little straggly - their white tops are almost gone and there are only blossoms at the very top. I thought the season was about done but I saw lots on the side of the road when I was driving. I'm leery about picking where I can be seen though, do not want to get shot. May have to resort to snake filled ditches again this year.

The Last Bluebonnets

The bluebonnets are on the wane here, only a few left and those look exhausted. I admit to poaching the yellow flower from the library beds early this morning. I think it is a kind of day lily, so it only had one day of glory anyway. These look like tiny orchids and float on long stems above the thin grass-like leaves. I was very economical with my brush strokes here, did not repair much in the process of painting it and mostly tried to leave the edges alone.

Daisies in Square Glass

I kept this one in all grays and slathered on the paint again.

Daisies on High

I put these daisies up on a brick to get them at eye level. Even thicker paint on these, slabs of paint!

Daisies on Pink

Another daisy study, this time using really really thick paint.

Daisies and Blue Bonnets

Here is my first shot at daisies. There are so many parts to it and so many whites! I have to learn how best to consolidate the info.

Mugshot 50, Possible Family Member

This is the second go at this portrait - thinking Queen Mariana the whole time I was painting.

Blue Bonnets and Striped Napkin

This one, not so weird....I kept it to all blue and some form of blue as much as possible. It was a good color exercise and I also kept the paint relatively fresh. What I want from the flowers is a particular energy separate from prettiness. I know this is possible, because I have seen it done: Van Gogh, Alice Neel, Redon, to name three, I know there are more...also, Jane Freilicher, also Wayne Thiebaud, who did plastic ones that knock you out.