The Painting Spectrum - Bold Streaks; Inspired By Oil Spills

I have found my freedom. I am no longer constrained to what is considered making "pretty pictures". The latest series of paintings I've been working on over the past two weeks are an exposure of my soul - the good, the bad, and the ugly... raw emotion. I run the gamut.

Happiness is bright or pastel colors for me. When I'm playing or after I've spent time with any of my grandchildren, I'm usually in a good mood for quite some time afterwards. However, some colors can speak the opposite. Black, for example. To me, this represents loss or grief. In a few of my paintings I either created or work on this week, it showed this as a good friend of mine moved to Louisiana. While it may sound pessimistic, I doubt I'll ever see her again as she is not in the best of health. I miss her already.

One of my works, a painting inspired by glass jars in the shape of an infinity design flopped. What I envisioned in my head, I wasn't able to produce on canvas. It was a learning experience! With another painting, I envisioned seed pods. That turned to including embryo's as symbols of new life. Just as a caterpillar spins its cocoon, so am I creating anew.

For years, a website utilizing my first and last name was not a reality; another user somewhere out in the great Internet void had that domain. It is now available and I grabbed it! Hopefully as early as next week (beginning of October), my new website, JillLangdon.com will be live. "Pretty pictures" are not on the menu. The real me is emerging and with and with that metamorphosis are my experiments with oil spills. Brave, bold, and courageous colors. They speak from the heart to the heart. The paintings evoke raw emotions in the viewing of them.

Not to get deeply spiritual, but there have been many times in my life when it was only God and I. Awe inspiring to say the least. I feel that God joins me while I'm painting and takes over with His small voice directing me what to do next. Maybe it's the same for you. Maybe there's some inner spirit that's greater than yourself that leads you as well. Maybe you think I'm nuts - that's okay.

Expressing myself is my greatest pursuit. The goal for me is to find the beauty within each painting - even the ones (works or subject matter) I consider ugly. However, what I might consider ugly, another person may consider it s bold streak of genius with a color combination.

I've been asking guests who visit my studio, as well as friends and family which paintings from my new series they like. At times, I've been astonished by their responses. I will admit, like many artists, I don't give myself enough credit. I can be overly critical of myself as well as my work.

Onward with my process: Two more large canvases were prepared this weekend ready to be explored upon over the coming week. What will become of them? I'll let you know next week...

I'll close this post with some quotes from Johann Wolfgang von Geothe;
 - "Whatever you can do or dream, you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
 -  "Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do."
 - "As soon as we trust ourselves, we will know how to live."

I'm working on that last one, as the jury seems out on that statement.
Until next time,
Jill

The Painting Spectrum - Process And Progress; Week One

Monday, September 12, 2016; this was it - starting a series of oil paintings inspired by man-made oil spills, big and small. The first painting I begin working on has a Gesso foundation on the canvas and a rough sketch - and I've already titled it. There are times when I truly wonder why I name my paintings, sometimes giving them titles that seem to have almost nothing to do with the series I'm working on. Maybe I do this as part of my creative process. By the way, this first painting is entitled "Sundance".

I laid the foundation coat of colors on this work and within a few hours had to put it aside so the oil would start to dry. I began my next painting already entitled "Waterfall". I struggled to find the color I was after. It's moments like these where I wish oil paint came in bright fluorescent colors like Hot Pink. Brilliant Red mixed with pure white did not produce the pink I was after.

In mild desperation, I went rummaging through an old suitcase that was filled with paint and other art supplies. Much to my joy, I found a half-used tube of Cadmium Red Rose. I mixed that paint with my white and came close to a hot pink as I was going to get. I'm satisfied with the bright color even if it isn't screaming fluorescent. A friend of mine asked, "Why don't you just use an acrylic?" Oil paint lasts longer than acrylics... way longer. Hence one reason why the tubes of paint are expensive. Plus the textures and look are different.

On Tuesday, I began "Jewels", only to have created what looked like the face of an alien in a left-hand side circle (another friends description, not mine - although I totally agreed with her). This painting was inspired by a small oil puddle mixing with water on asphalt with the sun hitting it. The blue oil drops on the faded tar that was in my painting stood out like eyes. It was not only distracting, but also disturbing. I let that painting dry for two days.

By mid-week, I went back to working on "Waterfall". I felt like I needed some additional inspiration, so on went the classical music and I "conducted" the painting. My technique was to commence with all the yellows first, as well as the other lighter shades of color, and then have the darker shades be the outlines of shapes, forms, and lines.

On Thursday, I painted "Tapestry". Have you ever experienced working on multiple paintings and some just seem to flow or come together better and/or faster? With this work, it seemed as if I was weaving it together, not stitch by stitch, but color by color.

Friday - time to wrap things up. This was officially touch-up day. On "Sundance", I blended in oil purple to take away some of the pink. I know - after all that searching for the right color, I blended some of it away. Next, I worked the inner circles to have a more oiled feel to them - as if they were flowing from one color to the next.
With the "Jewels" painting, I added black over the asphalt portions of the painting and those so-called "eyes" my friend pointed out, disappeared. The finished painting has a more peaceful look. I did the same procedure to "Waterfall" and gave it a purple glaze over where the asphalt would've been.
Lastly, on "Tapestry", I outlined in dark green some areas that were still bare and lacking color.

Looking back, I had a great week! I'm pleased so far with the paintings as well as the process. We'll see how week #2 goes. I also hope you enjoy these new creations.

The "well-oiled" painter,
Jill

"Jewels"

"Waterfall"

"Tapestry"

"Sundance"

The Painting Spectrum - Oil Paint Spills

For those of you who clicked on this blog post hoping to find an easy cleanup for when you topple over a vast amount of oil paint while painting an art work; sorry to disappoint. We're going to dig a little deeper today. I'm reading a book entitled, "The Happiness of Present - Finding The Quest That Will Bring Purpose To Your Life", by Chris Guillebeau, and I have decided to venture on a quest with my painting journey.

In the past, I've painted realism of flowers, oceans, driftwood, sea shells, animals, sunrises, sunsets, as well as landscapes. I've also abstracted these very same themes. My other abstract works have also contained words, have had paint dripped and splattered onto the canvas, and contained psychedelic lines. All these paintings I've done have increased my drawing and painting skills as well as a sense of design.

Uniting my passion of bright colors and oil paint, I have come to a unique focal point with my work. After having been in a dry spell for the past two months and at times felt like I was dying because I could not create if my life depended on it, I have turned a corner and feel alive like a phoenix rising out of the ashes.

I managed to produce enough sales over the summer to clear out a large portion of my older inventory. Any canvases that were not sold have been glazed over with multiple layers of gesso. Another goal was reached that has also been long awaited; art lovers have become more alerted to my work. So - what does all this have to do with "oil paint spills"?

I live very close to the ocean - the large body of salt water as well as its creatures are very dear to me. Remember the BP (British Petroleum) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that occurred just over six years ago? Their enormous oil rig caught fire and sank causing the largest environmental disaster in US history. Thanks to the fact that it took 87 days to cap the spill, and all the BP corporate BS, it took massive coordinated efforts from the federal government, the EPA, the Coast Guard, BP itself, and tens of thousands of volunteers, to help with the eventual cleanup that no one was truly prepared for. Even three years later, 4.6 million pounds of "oiled material" was removed from the Louisiana coastline.

My latest quest is to raise awareness of how our own oil consumption (as well as other countries) effects the planet. I'm bringing forth two basic concepts; the beauty of color and how this wild color looks on dirt, water, and other natural surfaces, ie; "spills". My inspiration or "oil spills" have come from numerous places. For example, a vehicle leaking oil onto wet pavement or a heavily photo-shopped digital picture of land and water.

Now that I have canvases to paint on and more room to paint, my goal is to create as many "oil spills" as it takes to raise 4.6 million dollars for environmental protection in the event of another oil spill. Each painting is 16"x20" in size and will sell for $1250 dollars. I realize that this goal will be impossible to reach
overnight or even in the next decade. However, I have given myself a goal of 30 years to accomplish this. That's approximately 100 paintings a year. Given my history, this is entirely doable. I've been averaging between 75-80 a year - and this has been accomplished while taking extensive time off for travel and previous health reasons. Will I reach my goal? I don't know - one day at a time. The joy is in the journey, not the destination.

I have begun numerous paintings already. Each work begins with a rough sketch with burnt umber. The work featured today is entitled "Sundance". You will see why in a few days to a week when it is finished. Until then, paint on!

Jill