Tag: painting

Big Piece

I have been experimenting with executing larger pieces. For painting I had no idea if my technique would work. Also, I had never painted watercolors on easel. I decided to have a go at it. With zero pressure of a deadline or patron expectations, the freedom to experiment was an invaluable currency. What I discovered is that I can still utilize my technique but with the paper on easel had to work much slower than is my norm.

So here is my first go (ever) at this type of thing (both paper type and size). I was very pleased with it. In the end, I did not find it a lesser or transitional work. I will definitely do more large pieces, although with different type of paper.

“Hair Fin” Watercolor & Paper 22×30

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by Wayne Wolfson

Blue Pen

I have an ongoing informal series called “A Valentine of Sorts”. The things in it I do not seek out but paint when they organic have popped up in my life and have the color palette I have used in the series. In general, I never beforehand think about subject matter nor color scheme but always do what appeals to me as I bump into it.

 

The whole series is 5.5×8.5 Watercolor & Paper

 

by Wayne Wolfson

Picon et Biere

Traditional beauty bores me. It becomes a generic, fleeting pleasure. With painting it also easily lends itself to being overly academic, lean against the railing baby, tilt your head. I mainly use people I know, I let their naturally occurring body language and emotions present themselves. The true will always be beautiful because it is real.

 

9×12 Watercolor & Multi Media Paper

 

 

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by Wayne Wolfson

Tan Lines

Between all my recent travel and getting ready to go on the road, I realized that I had not done a piece on my French Cotton paper in a while.

 

“As a child I spent my entire summers barefoot, right up until the day before school started. I think that’s why as an adult I like beaches so much, they are very different in Europe. ”

French cotton paper & Watercolors 7×10

 

 

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by Wayne Wolfson

Dior Glasses

There is a pleasure to exploring when on the road. A different but equally satisfying thing is to have places all over the world where one is known, a regular. This is a self portrait of me at one of my favorite places while on the road.

Watercolor & Multi Media Paper 9×12

 

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by Wayne Wolfson

Tani

First painting from on the road. I am very pleased with this, even more so as I had far from ideal lightening and worked on a counter.

Tani 5.5×8.5 watercolor and paper

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by Wayne Wolfson

Collarbone

This piece is 9×12 Watercolor on multi media paper (98 lb) . I am very pleased with the results. I do not work any magic on the photos of my work. I  only use my phone as the photos are meant to give the gist of a piece, often in person there is even more going on with a work.

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by Wayne Wolfson

In a Moment

Renaissance painters largely did Royal/High Society  portraits along with the obligatory religious work. It was important for the portraiture to look like the subject. However, there could be subtext either positive or negative in the clothes the subject was wearing, the accoutrements around them.  These send their own narrative out into the world.

The painter locked in the subject’s position, then worked from there. Now, with camera/photos, people expect, if the subject is leaning their head to the left, then paint it exactly that way.

I have often written about the relationship between artist & model and audience expectation. Another aspect which has changed is positioning.

I want my portraits to look like the subject and I include every little bit of minutia that I see, from a blemish to an about to fall off button. when not working from a live subject, I do not rigidly adhere though, to position offered up in the photo .

Once I did a commission, working from a photo. When I was done, it was the spitting image.

“Oh, my head had been tilted back slightly more in the photo.”

It had not been a flattering angle, chosen because it decreased a chin but increased nostrils as focal point. A strange argument to me, as angle aside, it looked just like her. Most people would never see both the photo and the portrait.

Not by way of excuse but as part of my usual modus operandi, I do sometimes slightly alter an angle. It is as if I am capturing the moment before or right after that in the photo. Depending upon the naturalness of the pose, at other times I do not alter a thing.

She took possession of the portrait. Upon hanging it in her home, she snapped at photo of it on the wall. At one of the fuller cocktail parties she faux-casually brought up her portrait. Wanting some justification for her initial cool reaction she had been eager to show a party goer or two  the photo I had worked from and the finished portrait both of which rested within her phone.

“Oh, that is great, it looks just like you, especially in the eyes!”

After a few more comments like this, she felt better. She put away the photos of twins, born a minute apart.

 

“Blue Pillow”

Watercolor & multi media paper 9×12

 

 

by Wayne Wolfson