It is 12:58 am, Tuesday morning, March 16th 2010. I have just waged and won a battle that lasted two long nights. This battle I will call "Along the Bow".
I began this painting with a clear image in my mind based on my memories of having been to the Bow River in Alberta Canada. I would pencil it in, mix my paint pallet and just whip this simple one off. No problem. Maybe a few hours and it would be a done deal.
Along the Bow had ideas of it's own.
Last night I stood back and just couldn't feel right about it. Something wasn't sitting right. Trees looked wrong, mountain looked wrong, river looked wrong, etc, etc, etc. I layered a new effect onto it, but it was getting worse. This is one painting that tempted me to forget all my experience and give up on it for good. Most paintings can be re-visited again and again until it turns out right but this one was going to be ripped up and thrown out.
Tonight I had my mind set on painting a new painting, but there it sat, lying in wait. It's magnetic pull was too much for this over tired weak hearted artist to resist.
"OK!" I said. "What do you want from me? I gave up on you, remember?"
There it sat, quietly but loudly demanding that I return to it, just one more time.
I lifted it up to my drawing table. I began to mix my paint again. I began to apply brush stroke after brush stroke. It eluded me again. I stood up, ready to walk away completely defeated by this canvas of utter frustration.
One more touch, that's all.
And then it happened. The dabs, the cool colours, the sound of the breeze blowing through the naked birch as the mighty Bow River flowed past.
Finally. Finally it came to life.
"Along the Bow".
Robert
I began this painting with a clear image in my mind based on my memories of having been to the Bow River in Alberta Canada. I would pencil it in, mix my paint pallet and just whip this simple one off. No problem. Maybe a few hours and it would be a done deal.
Along the Bow had ideas of it's own.
Last night I stood back and just couldn't feel right about it. Something wasn't sitting right. Trees looked wrong, mountain looked wrong, river looked wrong, etc, etc, etc. I layered a new effect onto it, but it was getting worse. This is one painting that tempted me to forget all my experience and give up on it for good. Most paintings can be re-visited again and again until it turns out right but this one was going to be ripped up and thrown out.
Tonight I had my mind set on painting a new painting, but there it sat, lying in wait. It's magnetic pull was too much for this over tired weak hearted artist to resist.
"OK!" I said. "What do you want from me? I gave up on you, remember?"
There it sat, quietly but loudly demanding that I return to it, just one more time.
I lifted it up to my drawing table. I began to mix my paint again. I began to apply brush stroke after brush stroke. It eluded me again. I stood up, ready to walk away completely defeated by this canvas of utter frustration.
One more touch, that's all.
And then it happened. The dabs, the cool colours, the sound of the breeze blowing through the naked birch as the mighty Bow River flowed past.
Finally. Finally it came to life.
"Along the Bow".
Robert
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