Tag: watercolor

Three in the Game

It has always been of interest to me how the media (television & movies) portray what encapsulates the life of an artist, in any medium. Now, it has been reduced down to all tropes and often one of two types of narratives.

A musician in some prestigious venue pressing forehead against wall in a dressing room as the crowd roars their name. And then the story slingshots back to them as a child starting out and you watch how they came to that moment. The movie ends back again in the present with them opening the dressing room door.

Or, someone who is slightly different from everyone else, children on a playground playing in a scrum while one little boy is off by himself doodling or taking notes. You then see this outsider stick to his guns and in the end gets the girl, gets some acceptance from society in general and walks by shop window with their book prominently displayed or perhaps walks down vast stone steps of a museum the camera pulling back to show a banner with their name on it.

An artist’s life is always portrayed in this manner as you would loose the audience if it was largely them standing in front of an easel or sitting at a desk doing their thing hours on end in solitude, which is far closer to the reality but lacking in outward drama.

Some of my friends have children now of age where they have to start seriously thinking of what they want to do, if not when they grow up, then at least to focus on for uni.

“Maybe tell them a little bit about what the life of an artist is like?”

It sounds corny but it is a calling. There is no “making it” as is conceived in the minds of anyone who has ever watched a bio pic. You feel good and you are working, you are feeling sick or sad or stressed you are still working. The money and exposure of one’s work may increase but the “win” is in the serving of the process which you have been doing already anyways.

Phillip Guston once said that with every painting he created, at the start of it everyone he knew was there in the studio with him and as he worked on it, all these phantoms dropped away. My experience is, as I paint everything drops away except the act of painting. I finish work for the day or i complete a piece and there is that familiar joy, then slowly regular life reasserts itself, the pinch of salt to the sweetness. Then next day I chase that away by getting back to it. That’s how it is in some manner for all artists.

I got locked into a groove and was able to get three paintings done. Each was a different size and paper. For the largest, I tried something different eschewing my normal volume and mass effect for the skin. This was not an arbitrary decision, it is how I saw the piece in my head beforehand. I like the difference in the piece from my others.

The new issue of Furious Pure Magazine #8 has a nice overview of my work along with a diverse and talented group of other artists.

https://www.furious-pure-magazine.com

“Flower” 5×7 Paper

‘Hayley” 9×12 Rembrandt cold pressed fin cotton paper

“Cookie” Talen Art Creations Multi Media pocket Pad 4×4 inches

by Wayne Wolfson

A Couple of Songs

Still in edit mode for novel. Did two paintings in-between all the rain,

Pebs 9×12 inches Rembrandt cold pressed fine grain

Gum I used my ever present Talen Art Creations Multi Media pocket Pad 4×4 inches

Bonus: Was cleaning my brushes and did a loose scrap paper Self Portrait with built up paint.

by Wayne Wolfson

Three at the Party

As I continue to edit my novel I have been able to go back to painting. As has always been the case, I like to mix it up a little as to avoid stagnation. This is achieved by giving myself little challenges, different types and sizes of paper and in this case for the second and third painting, only using paint left in the palettes.

Myself 5×8 cold pressed watercolor paper with my normal studio paint set up

Truth or Dare I used my ever present Talen Art Creations Multi Media pocket Pad 4×4 inches

Sandy I used my ever present Talen Art Creations Multi Media pocket Pad 4×4 inches

Spontaneous pic

by Wayne Wolfson

Two Dances

I am still in the midst of working on my Cinefield® and editing my novel. I have managed to work on my paintings, albeit in a very different way. As I do not have space on my painting table, I use my writing table. Since I can not have this taken over by paint palettes, I did one small thing which involved mixing only one color at a time (i.e base coat for hair, background et al) This way when I was done with the session, I could set the painting aside and not be unable to use my table. Most importantly, I was not wasting paint either.

In creating my Cinefield® works, butcher paper is rolled out onto my painting table to protect it from the glue. Every few days I have to change the paper as snow drifts of dried glue accumulate. On the days that I did this, before laying down more paper I took the morning off from Cini work and did the parts for the paintings where I had to have full palettes of paint (the skin, creating volume and mass for the flesh).

It has always been important to me to have a discernable style while avoiding lapsing into mere mannerisms. To prevent this, I present myself with challenges to keep things fresh.

Neck is 5×8 White Canson Paper. It handles very different from all the papers I have been using for a while and is also a different size. I enjoyed the challenge and was pleased with the results.

Flapper I used my ever present Talen Art Creations Multi Media pocket Pad 4×4 inches

by Wayne Wolfson

Stacy Says

I am in the middle of two bigger projects, editing my novel & my latest Cinefield®. I do not have studio space to do full sized paintings. In the interim I am doing pocket pad pieces which allow me to pint without leaving palettes of paint out.

The methodology of this is different than how I usually paint and I enjoy the challange.

 Stacy Says Watercolor & Talen Art Creations Multi Media pocket Pad 4×4 inches

by Wayne Wolfson

2025 Fare Thee Well

Finished my latest painting “Hat”. It is a 5×7 on French Cotton paper. I tried a few new things with this one, portraying the skin in a slightly different manner than I normally do.

There is a sort of “game” on social media where one says “I will die on this hill” and it’s something small (that is the bit) but which one feels strongly about, or that drives one crazy when done a different way.

It is supposed to be whimsical but it is one of many ingredients in the current unpleasant gumbo North America finds itself mired in. While reading of the different little things people have such strong opinions on can be funny, it has also become a sort of behavioral template, a permission to rage and scream. Not everything needs to become a culture war issue nor devolve into people you do not know swearing at you or just injecting negativity into a post.

A modest proposal: Let us make 2026 a better year, even for the jerks, since to paraphrase Marcus Aurelias they are always going to be around regardless.

It is very easy to do, suck the air out of all the negative conversations & postings on places such as Twitter. You are not going to change anyone’s mind, nor are you going to prove them wrong since it shan’t be acknowledge by them. Even a person 100% in the right, yelling at someone in the wrong is only contributing to the din.

Strongly do i believe at least half the trolls if not engaged will sort of drop away. Also there is definitely a good percentage of politicians and in general creeps who do and say horrible things and when citizens and the news discuss it while showing clips of what they said, their tweets and posts et al it only keeps the things alive while also spreading its visibility.

When the Nazis were on the verge of occupying Paris, many different people wanted to get Matisse out and to a country where he would be safe. He refused to go. His view was that if he and others like him left then what were people fighting for? What would France then be without its culture?

Culture is important, it reminds one that there are things bigger and greater than the “I”. It links us all together. Even though it is comprised of different things for each of us, we all dream, love and hope. Culture is the thing in which we put all these emotions and from which we also take inspiration.

History is littered with terrible moments and culture endures during, often it shines after. Now more than ever before it is easy for one to explore new music, art and literature via online. Do not write off an unfamiliar thing as “Not my thing” without giving it a try. This is a freedom which can lead to something that adds to you, who you are what you are about.

Don’t bother telling a fool they are acting foolish, don’t let a troll make your blood pressure rise, instead use the time to check out some new things. Like Matisse, I will stay here, brush in hand.

Happy & Healthy New years to all

Photos by me emblematic of my ’25

2025:

by Wayne Wolfson

The Mark & Gerd

As I am in the middle of writing my next novella, sometimes I day dream which is an articulation of extraneous ideas that I will not use as to be able to concentrate better.

I day dream as I clean my studio. There’s a vague idea that I have had of an artist who has all the equipment he needs to do his thing and in variety. In his mind’s eye, this makes him “rich” as he let’s slip at a bar (This leads to trouble).

When I first started doing visual work, I used the pages of the newspaper (for the youngsters: this was like a twitter news feed but accurate and truthful, made from thin slices of a tree, which showed up on your doorstep every morning) I used black and red markers as to be able to see my drawings.

I then graduated to blocks of cheap paper filling every page on both sides.

Slowly, I worked my way towards legitimizing the need of good equipment. Initially, i was thrifty out of necessity, i.e using pencil extenders as to squeeze every drop out of a pencil.

Fast forward, I can now afford whatever I want for equipment, i can buy things merely to experiment with etc. I still use pencil extenders and observe other economical practices, not because I have to or even because I am cheap. It is a sign of deep affection for serving the process.

When working on a painting, the amount of paint which I use at most only takes up two ten slotted porcelain palettes. Not much but I often find myself when a painting is completed with a little bit paint remaining.

I started the practice of doing a smaller painting with remaining paints in my trusty Talen Art Creations Multi Media pocket Pad 4×4 inches. Nothing is wasted and it often presents some manner of stimulating challenge for me. It’s my version of what great chefs like Paul Bocuse did in their every part of the animal philosophy.

The Mark Watercolor & Rembrandt 9×12 cold pressed fin paper

Gerd Talen Art Creations Multi Media pocket Pad 4×4 inches

by Wayne Wolfson

Reflexive

I am currently working on a novella and so will devote my allotted time for visual works towards painting. At the end of the day of working in full sized painting currently underway I had a little bit of paint left in my palettes.

I used it to do a smaller work. I did this for same reason I use pencil extenders when down to nubbins, not out of cheapness but as further sign of deep affection for serving the process. (I will say though, for someone who is constantly drawing etc, it does add up)

“Reflexive” This piece was done in my trusty Talen Art Creations Multi Media pocket Pad 4×4 inches

Also few spontaneous photos I took as I worked, the poetics of the everyday.

Addendum: “How not to Look Like an Ass While Living History”

Yesterday, regardless of what side one might feel they are on or even what country residing in, was historic. While I do not begrudge someone not wanting to make a statement or gesture via their social media sites, in such cases the best thing to do is silence.

It looks tonally weird (and deaf) for some huge thing to be occurring and in the midst of it trying to rack up likes or views for what one does as if just another day.

No one’s career has ever been made via one blog post nor tweet. It can wait a day, I assure you. To think it doesn’t matter if one does not live in the country in which a thing is occurring is to get it wrong too. We, all of humanity are connected. Ironically, this notion seems to be forgotten more and more even as it becomes easier to interact with those afar from us.

It is not our duty necessarily to provide commentary or messaging on an event as it occurs, but it definitely is weird to ignore an event by acting as if it’s not happening. Years down the corridor of time:

“What were you doing when the regime fell grandpa” or “What were you doing when this huge thing happened Grandpa?”

“Me? Well Billy I was trying to get at least fifty likes for my latest blog post/I was trying to get people to listen to my band’s cover of a cure song on youtube.”

by Wayne Wolfson

Song About a Girl #957

Just back from a trip where I was able to take photos to serve as fuel for my next Cinefield®. I lucked out and was able to get so much raw material it will allow me to do two which will lead me right up until next spring ( I won’t work on them back to back, taking a well needed break between which accounts for some of time frame)

While working on my Cinefield®, of course I will still draw every day and do my water soluble graphite work in pocket pads but this will be last painting for a while as my studio will become dominated by tiny confetti like pieces of paper laid out on sheets.

For this piece I wanted to try something a little different. I made the flesh appear without the volume and mass letting the lines tell that story of the body. I was very pleased with the results and enjoyed the challenge of going against my usual preference. That is one way for an artist to avoid falling back on pet-licks for a piece.

9×12 Rembrandt cold pressed paper 140lb

by Wayne Wolfson