St Francis's Epiphany. (WIP)

reteP

reteP

Member
Location
Northern Rivers, Australia.
Thanks to the support from this forum, I am inspired to have another go at an unfinished painting. I start this a few decades ago and have never been able to rekindle it. I am determined to take a risk and see what happens.

I just washed down the painting and my paint trolley. They were both collect a few years of dust and grime, since the last time I washed it down for a restart that never happened. I found my notes and sketches about this painting, and I need to read them all before I start painting. So I will be at my desk working out where and how to restart this painting.

There is a fair bit involved to get the info in my head before I start. This painting will have metaphysical elements which are expressed through symbolism. And a lot of them I am unsure how to apply them. I guess that part is best dealt with when I get to paint them. So, this is where I am at. I hope to start painting soon.

Long time ago I wrote this on the back, to remind me what my goal is with this painting.
2024-07-07a.jpg

2024-07-07b.jpg
PS. That chair has been with me since 1990, when I painted 'Sobriety'. It's been repaired a few times since. I like it too much to throw it out; much like an old slipper.
 

Well, almost a week has passed without painting. Besides attending a few appointments I have been struggling with procrastination, once again. The last two days has been challenging to find out why I procrastinate over this painting. This is what I found out.

Many artists say that it is very difficult to restart a painting that has come to a standstill. Of course it depends if the painting is finished or not. Many a painting gets over done, and should have stopped earlier. But I do not think that is my case here. This painting is definitely unfinished IMHO.

Many artists say that if a painting no longer seems viable then it ought to be abandoned. That is, scrubbed down and repainted, or simply scrapped. But I still see this one as viable.

The other reason for the impasse, is that I got to a point where I lost confidence to carrying out what I envisioned. I stopped painting in the hope of 'somehow' regaining confidence without practice. Sounds silly doesn't it.

Oh damn! I'll just have to take a risk of stuffing it up. I will have to remind myself that there is nothing wrong with wiping off what did not work and try again... and keep doing that until I think its okay. . . This reminds me of an artist, on an art forum, who kept painted over what no longer worked for him. He painted and posted everyday. The painting, over a few months had many alterations to it, but it eventually turned out quite good... I will try and do the same when I need to.

Oh well, There is nothing more for me to say. I have come to the end of another procrastinating episode (ha ha ha). I have to admit, writing the above has taken some of my fears away. Perhaps I will have something to show the next time I post here.
 
I find what you wrote on the back of the painting you are intending to finish fascinating. If you read my post in the Sighting Spirits (Under the main heading of Paranormal)) section you will see why. I now think the woman I was seeing hanging up clothes was the one covered with a shadow and not another person, but showed she was becoming spirit just as St. Francis saw the same about those two women.
 

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There is so much which is a consensual identification and empathization, @reteP, for your words ring true with me.

Constant reminders as to the reasons we do art are like the memorized slogans of a 12-step program which keep us with our "hands upon the throttle and (our) eyes upon the rail" as the old folk song goes.

A major portion for our love of art is the struggle- the searching, the groping, the being lost, the finding- and it's all part of the process. The "aesthetics of the transitory", the beauty of the moment, which is all we truly ever process.

And the process, not the product, is that which drives we artists on. Oh, the product is nice where others can comment with such trivialities as, "That's good. I like it", but external gratification does not fuel our passion for art. We do art because we HAVE to. Art is as important as food and water, which can be forgotten during the process as can mental and physical pain.

Art is a God given talent, and we do not want to "hide our lamp under a bushel" but we need to "render unto Ceasar that which is Ceasars, and render unto God that which is God's", which is that which we are doing, in doing our art, reteP.
 
When you've painted in the past, was it a private undertaking?

Or were you casting it in the public eye like you are here on the forum?

I wouldn't want to promise the public I could come through on an artwork. I much prefer to show a finished piece that I'm satisfied with.
 
OldFeller said:
When you've painted in the past, was it a private undertaking?

Or were you casting it in the public eye like you are here on the forum?

I wouldn't want to promise the public I could come through on an artwork. I much prefer to show a finished piece that I'm satisfied with.
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My hope, by exposing my ideals and ideas that it may make myself more accountable. I have in the past fallen short on promise, with this painting. I endeavour to remedy that.
 
Thanks for sharing your painting with us, @reteP ! I love the 3-dimensional mountains in the background. The people up front are interesting, but I felt they could use more play with light and shadows. They felt two-dimensional, if that makes sense. I also have a painting that is sitting on my table these past few weeks. I plan to go to the senior center and work on it there. Being around other artists tends to motivate me to paint. I don't know why, but it seems to work for me. Good luck!
 
Since Friday I have been gathering all my scraps of notes about this painting and organizing what it is I want to paint. Today I will make a start.
My first task is to improve background shades of some of the hills; some of it is too dark.
 
palides2021 said:
Thanks for sharing your painting with us, @reteP ! I love the 3-dimensional mountains in the background. The people up front are interesting, but I felt they could use more play with light and shadows. They felt two-dimensional, if that makes sense. I also have a painting that is sitting on my table these past few weeks. I plan to go to the senior center and work on it there. Being around other artists tends to motivate me to paint. I don't know why, but it seems to work for me. Good luck!
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Thanks for sharing.
At the moment, all I have done is lay downed the background (mid-intensity) colours. Actually today I am going over some of them to lighten some areas up. Then later I will add different tones for shadows and highlights to give form.
 
reteP said:
Thanks for sharing.
At the moment, all I have done is lay downed the background (mid-intensity) colours. Actually today I am going over some of them to lighten some areas up. Then later I will add different tones for shadows and highlights to give form.
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Sounds interesting. What media are you working with? Acrylic, watercolor, or oil? I am guessing it is not watercolor.
 
After some convalescence my health improved enough to actually start some painting.
Getting started again proved that I was seriously out of touch with how I paint. I spent half a day repainting, several times, a small section of the painting; to no real satisfaction. I had to remind myself that it does not matter if I get it all wrong, just try and have some fun. At the end of the day my hand, forearm and shoulder was aching. More practise will eventually cure that.

2024-08-07.jpg
 
When I restarted this painting I never thought that I will be making a complete background overhaul. It's a bit scary each time I do a stage, because I don't have the confidence nor knowing how it will turn out. At the moment, I figure there will be several background overhauls. This is the second one. Once I redo all the background, I will go over it again with shading, highlings, and some details. This painting is going to take a long time, but I strongly feel it will be worth it.

2024-08-09a.jpg

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reteP said:
It's a bit scary each time I do a stage, because I don't have the confidence nor knowing how it will turn out.
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It is said that there are two emotions, love & fear, and all other emotions stem from those two.

It is good when we overcome fear with love, as you have, reteP, overcome your fear of "not being good enough" with your love of art.
 
Davey Do said:
It is said that there are two emotions, love & fear, and all other emotions stem from those two.

It is good when we overcome fear with love, as you have, reteP, overcome your fear of "not being good enough" with your love of art.
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It is funny to ready what you wrote, because I have been saying the same about love and fear for decades. It is nice to get the same message back to me from someone else. Thanks.
 
Though I painted over a thousand trees it remains to be sparce and dotty. I will need to paint many more trees, especially in clumps, or stands of trees. Also, to mix in some variety of trees too.

2024-08-10a.JPG
 

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