Dear Subscribers,
I continue to be stunned by the parallels between painting and jiu jitsu. In both disciplines, days or weeks or even months may go by where one feels stuck in a rut, mired in difficulty and confusion, unable to solve a certain problem, with no discernible signs of progress. Or even a perceived loss of skill. But then, all of a sudden, everything seems to come together. Profound understanding or divine inspiration strikes, and the evidence of growth and improvement becomes tangible. There's just one catch, and it's a big catch--you have to keep on showing up throughout the fog of failure. And not just showing up and banging your head against the wall, doing the same thing over and over. Rather, showing up ready to play. Ready to experiment and possibly (definitely) make things worse before they can get better. Break everything so you can put it back together. Repeated exposure to this cycle hasn't made it easier per se, but I'm leaning towards acceptance, which definitely feels healthy. I know that growth is just around the corner. On balance, I clearly love this process of creation and learning, otherwise I wouldn't devote so much of my time to it.
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Professor Joel (our esteemed black belts are called professors, as they should be) at my gym likes to take unflattering photos and make bjj memes. I thought this one was pretty good. Here is me, dazed and exhausted after being obliterated by Professor Brian (pictured). I had a lingering black eye at the time, which makes it even better, lol. Anyways, jiu jitsu is incredible because you are able to see and feel the curve of progress in all of your training partners--on levels below, same, and above you. And everyone is on a different part of their growth cycle. When you witness it on such an intimate level, day after day, certain truths about the learning process become undeniable. The most obvious one is that consistency is key. Another one is that having a detached attitude towards failure (letting go of ego) is necessary. And finally, it's evident that people who stick around and grow year after year aren't there for stripes and belt promotions--they come out of a love for the process. They come to play.
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I recently read or heard (I can't remember where) a possible reframing of the Greek myth of Sisyphus rolling his boulder up the hill, only to have it roll back down and restart the process day after day. Instead of illustrating an existence of punishment and meaningless work, we can see it as a something beautiful. There is no destination--the process IS the meaning. Every morning, without fail, Sisyphus smiles at the rising sun, steels himself, and does his thing. Yesterday is long gone--today is a new day. Talk about dedication. It may not sound like success to everyone else, but I bet his mind is unencumbered while he works, and I'll bet he sleeps well at night. This might seem like banging your head against a wall, but I think there's a nugget of profound wisdom here.
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Continuing from the previous newsletter, here is the finished still life which was composed and painted from imagination: |
The Water 9x12in oil on aluminum panel
View HIGH RES image here
This painting is available, and I can make a deal on this one. Inquiries/offers reply to this newsletter or email david.cheifetz@gmail.com. |
Also continued from the last newsletter, here is progress on the big portrait. Next stage: |
Next stage. Applying color with knife. |
Next stage. Using big brush strokes. |
Next stage. Breaking it down, getting more specific and refined. |
Next stage. Searching in a sea of value and color. |
Next stage. Instead of something bright emerging from the darkness, I have a thought to pull more focus towards the eyes by pushing the background and everything else to a higher key. |
...Which means repainting all the darks except for the eyes. |
So now the darkest darks are isolated around the eyes. There is now a flatness in the face that needs to be addressed, but I like the direction this large painting is headed. I have a feeling that major changes will continue to happen. |
At this point, I set aside the painting (again) to let it simmer while I begin a new still life (below). |
(WIP to be continued in the next newsletter) |
ART UNIVERSE on Apple Vision Pro |
Back to still life from observation |
A new still life. As I prepare for my teaching trip to Italy at the end of the month, I felt the need to return to my fundamental process. Here is the setup. |
I love foil. Here I start with a toned 9x12in acm panel. |
Painting from the focus first. |
Focal green. Reddish/purplish everything else. |
Besides the umber block-in, this is all knife work. |
It's getting close, but there's something missing here. As has happened more times than I can count, the answer came to me in the middle of a workout, as I glanced over at the easel... I know what this painting needs. Exertion is a magical thing. I'll be finished soon. |
(WIP to be continued in the next newsletter) |
ART ESCAPE
Tuscany, Italy ART RETREAT: STILL LIFE COMPOSITION & PAINTING
Antico Borgo La Torre 28 April - 4 May 2024 SOLD OUT! | 6/7/2024 - 6/10/2024
I am so pleased to announce a new painting workshop coming this summer. I’ve never taught a method quite like this before. This will be something unique. For this workshop we will focus on painting still life from imagination! It’s a practice that I find incredibly challenging, exciting, and beneficial. We will stretch our minds and our abilities to the limit. We’ll explore a new frontier and take risks together. I thank you in advance for your trust in this experimental event.
Experience level for this workshop is Advanced. Hosted by Empire Inks, June 7th - June 10th, 3-day Workshop & optional 4th day to network. Time 11AM - 6PM. Cost is $750. Located at Colt’s private studio in Hortonville, Wisconsin. Medium is oil. For registration, please DM @empireinks on Instagram.
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10/24/2024 - 10/27/2024
STILL LIFE COMPOSITION AND PAINTING Townsend Atelier 4-Day Workshop
Chattanooga TN REGISTER |
Thank you for reading.
Until next time (after my trip to Italy!), Best Wishes -David |
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