Thursday, January 24, 2013

Dark Ladder

"Dark Ladder" acrylic on 8" x 10" canvas

In the fading light I examine my walls, scraped bare,
Some, but not all, of their guts exposed -
A stew of colors, a few palatable, others putrid;
Glues from coverings best forgotten;
Telltale signs of holes and gaps and vulnerabilities.

Yet the scattering, the dissonance, is attractive to me.
It is perfection that is disturbing.
I think of this as I scale the ladder in the dark
And apply my first coat of
Smooth, aromatic white
Paint.

* * *

PAINTER'S NOTES:  Mari of Colour Blob who, by the way, is doing beautiful work of cold - very cold - winter days, commented and asked how I got the texture in the painting, whether it was dry brush, so I thought I'd add my response here because the result was a surprise to me, and the process of painting was a bit of an adventure:

The painting began with an exact, almost photo-realist painting of the ladder. I am impressed with but not a big fan of photo-realism. It was properly done, but uninteresting, and I did not like the colors or the composition. So I stuck it in a drawer where it stayed for months. 

The other day I pulled it out, felt wild and wooly, and decided to start painting over it in a very free manner. Some was wet and some was dry. I was all over the place. I believe I was mostly wet first, and then went dry on top. Not sure. I thought I was going to ruin it frankly, and I didn't care because I didn't like the first "draft" and could always use the canvas again. Maybe that is when you do the best, I don't know. 

Then I pulled out the tool that I have truly begun to relish in my acrylics (which worked very well for me in another painting - not quite finished - that I haven't posted yet) - a rubber sculpting tool that looks to all of the world like a spatula. It could be viewed, I guess, as a soft painting knife. I love what it does. That may be some of what you see. 

Thanks Mari!

29 comments:

  1. Lovely Dan... where's that streak of white paint? Love the last line of your prose...nothing like the aroma of fresh paint... so true. So is this your studio you are painting?

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    1. LOL. I wish. No, I'm not painting anything. As this is poetry I am making liberal use of metaphor.

      As for that streak of white paint, this painting was made just before that stanza. :)

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  2. I love that "Glues from coverings best forgotten" and the aroma of fresh paint, I so cant wait to have new paint on some walls around here. You described that feeling so well, out with the past and in with the new "air". Great painting, kind of abstract feel to it. Did you do dry brushing, because I like the texture to it.

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    1. You know, I can't wait to have new paint on some walls around here either. Interesting to see what you see in the poem. Thank you for liking the language - I worked hard on trying to find the exact words.

      This poem is about change, about venturing into the unknown, but my intention was not really out with the old, in with the new. You can see conflicting feelings about the perfection of new paint, and a kind of affection for the unpainted walls. I'll leave it at that, for now. Well, I'll say this, look at the walls as part of me and read it again and see what you understand then.

      The painting began with an exact, almost photo-realist painting of the ladder. I am impressed with but not a big fan of photo-realism. It was properly done, but uninteresting, and I did not like the colors or the composition. So I stuck it in a drawer where it stayed for months. The other day I pulled it out, felt wild and wooly, and decided to start painting over it in a very free manner. Some was wet and some was dry. I was all over the place. I believe I was mostly wet first, and then went dry on top. Not sure. I thought I was going to ruin it frankly, and I didn't care because I didn't like the first "draft" and could always use the canvas again. Maybe that is when you do the best, I don't know. Then I pulled out the tool that I have truly begun to relish in my acrylics (which worked very well for me in another painting - not quite finished - that I haven't posted yet) - a rubber sculpting tool that looks to all of the world like a spatula. It could be viewed, I guess, as a soft painting knife. I love what it does. That may be some of what you see. Hmmm, maybe I should have written some of this in the post. Thanks, Mari!

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  3. excellent! I really like this ladder painting--it seems to stand for things to come--yes, change! It's really cool, it has a austerity that really speaks to me!

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    1. Yes, things are coming. What? I don't know. We will see. What I liked, a kind of happy accident, that adds to the feeling of austerity, I think, and perhaps makes it more interesting is the barely evident distant hall to the left of the ladder. Thanks!

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  4. I love the painting and the poem; I agree with Celeste that the painting speaks.

    Perfection is over-rated. Careful with that smooth, aromatic white paint!

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    1. I am trying to be careful with it - I really am. Thanks.

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  5. I really like how you have achieved the rough, stripped look for the walls. Sometimes the feeling that you've nothing to lose on a painting that's not working gives us the freedom to experiment....I have a similar rubber tool, I use it for making marks into the watercolour but this looks like you put on colour & scraped it off? I'm looking forward to seeing the not quite finished paintng.

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    1. Yep - both. I put color on with it and I scraped it off with it. I love using it.

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  6. I love the deep colours and the textures of this painting, Dan.

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    1. Thanks Jane. I expect some would not like it so dark - but it spoke to me, so I left it that way.

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  7. This is amazing. The colors alone!!! <3

    It reminds a bit
    of a colibri's beauty
    gone melancholic.

    (Sorry, I suck at poems/haikus... ;D )

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    1. Thank you! I think our haiku has a very beautiful sound. But what is a colibri?!

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  8. Very nice! I love the depth of color.

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    1. It is far better than the first color scheme. Still I always have doubts until I here comments like yours. Thanks.

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  9. Wonderful texture and color and it tells me a story! I like it!!

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  10. Hey, that's Acura's logo ^^. I love the rich colors Dan!

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    1. It's not Acura's logo. It's an A. Next in the series is a B. :) Thanks!

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  11. Wow, Dan! I've been away too long. Your work has turned the corner onto "Wow Street!" Good for you.

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    1. Kathy - so good to hear from you!! My art guru. I am so complimented by your comment, given the source. Thank you so much.

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  12. Well, I've been away - laptop problems...But I've come back to this wonderful painting. The colours are just right as is the texture.
    I must say, it is worth clicking on to see a larger version.
    Love it Dan.
    Stew.
    stewcrowther.wordpress.com
    _________________________

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    1. Aye Stew, if I had a laptop, I'd send it to you. It's dark and dreary on the web without you. I'm glad you like the painting. Thanks!

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  13. Love this Dan and the discription of how you did it.

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    1. Thanks Sue! I'm glad I added the description to the post - I mean, who reads poetry anyway?

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  14. Great work Dan, fantastic colours and texture....going to blow the dust off my acrylics, feeling in need of some playtime and freedom

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    1. Boy I would love to see what you do in acrylics! I get hungry just thinking about it. Thanks Debra!

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  15. Hi Dan, What a treat! I have seen lots of ladder paintings, but none like this one! I like the apparent simplicity, that's not quite so simple. The poem really works well with the painting. Are you going to attach a copy of the poem to the back? Splendid!

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