Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Moses Botkin Monthly Challenge

Self portraits. I'd rather be tied to a fire ant hill, I've decided. There couldn't be a less interesting subject for me. I started with the best of ideas and enthusiasm. But after 3 false starts, missing a massage appointment and sweltering in my hot studio space (need to move downstairs), I finally made one that was tolerable. But I still didn't do what I wanted to do. Maybe I will keep working on it. But I doubt it. I was hoping to paint myself doing what I do - sketching in a cafe. Then I would have had the cafe scenes that I love to paint, and me as the near subject... but the size of the panels I tried made the other elements much too small. I am at a weird angle too, owing to it being a photograph I set up with the camera balanced on my yogurt cup. And my red color is my heat rash that I've been enjoying for a week or so. I'm guessing on that... could be that I did lay in fire ants.

Anyway - this was a challenge in every respect. When you paint a face that you are so used to seeing, I think it is almost impossible to see it just as shapes of color/value... I couldn't see the forest for the trees so to speak. I think the others did beautifully creative paintings. I'm most impressed.

Today I'm going to work on a scene from Lake Michigan where I could barely dip my toes into the frigid water. But how yummy that would feel today in Texas.


Yours Truly
10x10 oil on linen board
(to be set in a corner and forgotten)



"Vicki - 2011"
14x11 oil on panel
©2011 Vicki Ross




"Morning Light"
10x8 oil on canvas
©2011 Ruth Andre




"Lady In Red - aka Me at 60”
8x8 oil on hardboard
©2011 Sharman Owings




"Suzanne"
10x10 oil on linen
©2011 Suzanne Berry



"Mirror"
7x8 Oil on canvas board

4 comments:

Studio at the Farm said...

Robin, you have GUTS! I have yet to paint, or want to paint a self-portrait. Bravo!!!

VickiRossArt said...

Robin, I think we all had some fire ant moments! Great job, even though you didn't like the process...:)

Anthony Duce said...

I like the handling of the light, and the movement expressed in the brush strokes. The portrait, if you or not is captured seems less important here.

Diana Moses Botkin said...

Sounds like you had challenges with the Challenge, Robin. We all should celebrate getting this one done... it was HARD!

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