I’ve become more interested in painting figures in the past month or so. I’ve gone through spells of painting figures in the past, so it’s not new to me, but it feels new because it’s been a while.
My imagination is kinda fried atm, so I used a reference photo that I found in an expensive online clothing catalog. When I say expensive, I saw a plain, light blue button up shirt for $900, and women’s dresses go from 6 to 8G. I was a bit shocked because the clothes looked like everyday wear, nothing fancy. Kinda crazy, if you ask me, but I’m not into fashion, so what do I know? I’m sure it was sewn with extra strong thread or something? Just like the paint on million dollar paintings is made of gold, right? 🙄
It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, I didn’t copy the photo in the catalog exactly. I somewhat copied the pose. I changed everything else up, and made the painting mine, like I always do.
The dress in the photo was white, and I think the flowers were blue? It was worn by a black lady model. Or maybe there weren’t any flowers? I can’t remember for sure. I looked at a lot of photos (with my mouth gaped open at the prices). At any rate, my dress and model are completely different.
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the $8000 dress, tho. If I had that kind of dough to blow, I wouldn’t be interested in one measly plain Jane dress, but that’s just me.
I painted this one using the same reference photo, except I was goofing around, and being all loosey goosey & silly. Sometimes I fling paint around, and work at an extremely rapid pace like I don’t care because well, I don’t care.
It’s just paint. What am I supposed to be concerned about? If it turns out ugly, it’s ugly. Not gonna lose sleep over it. There’s a good chance I’ll like the next painting or the one after that, so I better get painting. Onward!
Most of the time I like my ugly paintings more than the other ones, anyway.
Both of these gals will be for sale soon. As always if you want first dibs you can message me.
This guy is kinda sorta related to the guy above (maybe cousins?) because I painted this one after painting the guy in my art journal. This one is available. The art journal guy is not, but if you want me to scan art journal guy and make giclee prints, I can do that. LMK.
PS: I don’t think any of my art in this post is ugly, but the post I put up last week was cringey, imo. I didn’t like anything I created in my art journal. 🫤 When that happens, I tell myself to just keep painting, & eventually I’ll like something, maybe.
What I’ve been watching:
Inside an Artist’s NYC Loft Since 1972 - I love this video series that Joshua Charow created.
I also love Jack and Dad’s version of Sweet Child o’ Mine. I said a couple weeks ago these two are gonna break the internet some day, and they’re getting closer. There’s no stopping this dynamic duo.
Nolan Reads has read The Wind in the Willows, which was a favorite book of mine when I was a kid. This one and The Borrowers by Mary Norton I read over and over again. Soft Stories reads The Borrowers in the most delightful whispered asmr voice. I could listen to him read or talk all day. He speaks slowly, and gives your brain time to process what he’s saying, which is how audiobooks should be read, imo. What’s the rush anyway?
My artwork is available on Daily Paintworks (US shipping only), Etsy, and eBay (worldwide shipping).
Check out my weekly eBay auctions with low starting bids.
You can also find me on pinksky & blsky.
I’ve also been posting notes here on Substack in between these longer posts.
Feel free to subscribe, comment, share or like any of my posts.
May you be well, happy and peaceful. ☸️
Love the idea of not caring about the results. I couldn’t agree more.