Frightened to start - didn't get into the studio till 9.30, then cleaned up for an hour. Needed it. Not managed to sweep the floor but can walk over it and the palette was cleaned, the paints replaced -after coffee I began on N and worked right through till 6.00 bar a couple of interruptions.
I hesitate to write this, but its beginning to take shape sweetly. Thinking about backgrounds, decided that all that a background had to do was define a context and since this context is 'eating grass' drew a grassy green line across the bottom of the canvas. Thought that I should write, 'Nebuchadnezzar' under green grass line, did; and was immediately horrified. Either a viewer would recognise him from the substance of the pic., or not know the cultural stuff that would inform her/im in which latter case the name would just confuse. (Usual questions raised; who is it for, is this about info etc etc) anyway it didnt look right. Became an illustration. So I wrote Nebuchadnezzar again, over the Latin letters, in Greek. Pearlised pink mixed with grey and a hint of ultramarine on top of chrome green bright. Don't care if its readable or comprehensible, its looks loverly.
Then able to extend the green to an imaginary horizon, adding on a grey wall behind that which may become the legendary walls. And found that judicious use of pearlised paint gives the effect of being anodized - burnt out of metal. Good trick.
The two faces became an empty-eyed face and a lions mask. Pleased with this accident. Lions the emblem of Babylon. Eagle feathered hair? Shoved in a couple of eagle feathers.
All swam suspiciously well. Problem is that the light was very bad, the sky overcast and grey, I had to use artificial light. Have to wait and see what it actually looks like now.
Ravenously hungry!
No comments:
Post a Comment