Next Painting

This is the next photo that I'm painting. I took it in Manhattan, last summer. So far, I have him on six different small canvases, and I'm thinking of adding more on the bottom (where the chalk is). I had the idea to use chalkboard paint for the ground, and then viewers could draw in what the chalk designs are, but I'm not sure if it will work. 

I love the movement in his body. You can tell that he just spotted something, or noticed the drawings. The light hitting the side of his face is also really lovely. And, overall, he's quite darling. 

I'll post a photo of the painting when it's a little farther along. 

This is the piece that I am just finishing up. For this piece I started with a photograph that showed the little girl dancing in the street. I was looking for a new image of dance, and I love her effortless, dramatic pose, but I wanted to paint it in a way that gave her action meaning. While looking for other images, I found a painting of the woman seen in the background. In the painting, she is leaning against a wall in an alley, with a gun in her hand. I like how everything about her seemed strong, dangerous, and dark. So, I decided to combine the two figures to create a juxtaposition of the different qualities. I'm planning to paint smoke in the background. 

Here are some paintings that I worked on over the summer. I'm hoping to tie them into my upcoming project.

For these paintings, I really focused on light and the dimensions of the face. In the first three paintings, I worked off of photographs that I took. The last painting is partly from a photograph that I found in a book, and some of the features are from another one of my pictures. 

My favorite piece is the first one. I like that the expression on the person's face seemed a little different every time that I looked at it. Generally it looks frustrated, or even angry, but sometimes I see a confused expression that draws me in. I think that this piece has lighting that is dramatic, yet tangible. The lighting sets off the fish eye view, giving the entire expression a slightly different meaning. The person is looking at the viewer closely. I would love to receive any thoughts on what the situation might be, in the comments section below. In the projects that I am now starting, I will be focusing on faces. Expression will be my key goal, but I'm going to try to paint people in a way that lends to a story and a character. 

My Dancers

      This is the painting that I have been working on. I'm not sure what I would like the background to be, but I think I would like it to have some sort of message, as seen in the works of Vettriano and Banksy. If you have an idea, feel free to comment!

          This is Banksy's rendition of Jack Vettriano's painting. He replaced the maid with the two figures in haz-mat suits. If you look farther back to the horizon, you can see that he added an oil tanker to the ocean scene.
          Banksy chose to make a political statement when he decided to work with Vettriano's painting. Banksy drew on the image of affluence that Vettriano created, and showed a different side to this upper class image. I believe that he wanted you to connect the wealth of the dancers, and the presence of butler, with the environmental crime that is happening behind them. Vettriano puts you in a surreal world where this couple is dancing in some endless landscape with their servants catering to their needs. Banksy takes this romanticized idea, and changes the fundamental message with a small alteration.
          I love both versions of the painting, and I am very drawn to Banksy's political undertone. I am attempting to tackle this image myself, and, so far, I have painted just the couple on a small vertical canvas, and am now trying to wrap my head around a background for whatever message I would like to convey. My message might not necessarily be political for this painting, but I would like to paint a background that changes the reason why the dancers are present. Vettriano provides little explanation for why the dancers are where they are, but his painting is intriguing and charming nonetheless. Banksy connects the dancers with the oil industry. In this way, I would like to change the 'why' behind the dancers in a totally new manner, from that of Vettriano and Banksy.
     

This painting is called "The Singing Butler", by Jack Vettriano. I discovered a different version of this painting by Banksy, a year ago, and absolutely loved it. The entire scene is perfectly crafted. The dancers are in such a strange setting, which is immediately offsetting and intriguing to the viewer. They're outside, and there is nothing on the horizon. The ground seems to have water on it, as though it has just rained, and it looks as though it is a solid floor. This strange setting is set even further out of context with the presence of the maid and the butler. I love the technique, the lighting, the colors, all of it. 

This painting is my inspiration for my first project.

I am especially intrigued by the image of two people dancing together. My first piece is a small acrylic painting on canvas of the dancers in this painting. I don't have a comprehensive project formed yet. I know that I would like to work with the image of the dancers. I plan to use paint and image transfers. At some point, I would like to paint the dancers on an image of a modern day setting.