Dear Reader,
Greetings. The Studio Sale is now LIVE! |
The painting Incantation dried just in time for this sale. It sees the return of my flrrblz (my fantastical insects). I'll show you the process in this newsletter. The three newest paintings (shown above); Incantation, Black Light, and Cool Specter, all started as purely abstract compositions (without any preconceived ideas) before the representational finish from imagination. This mind-expanding process and its development has kept my creative fires burning over the past year.
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Simulacrum, from early this year, is a larger painting that currently dominates our living room. I’ve held off on sending it to a gallery out of, well, curiosity and uncertainty. I wanted to live with it to see if this is a direction I want to pursue (still life on a larger-than-life scale). It was also painted from imagination (hence the name). I’ve built my career on smaller paintings. Especially when it comes to still life. Size obviously matters. Big paintings can have a larger visual impact. After living with Simulacrum, I’ve decided that scale also matters. I’m differentiating here between size and scale. What I mean is that the fruits here are upscaled to be much larger than life. I’ve taken a composition that I would have normally created for a small panel, but painted it on a large panel instead. Something about this has made the glowing pear a character with a big personality in my living room. I’ve had more than a few late night staring contests with it from the couch, ha. I’ve also noticed (especially in the dim light of evening) that the “characters” in this painting have a sculptural quality that I’m very pleased with. Like Simulacrum, I’ve also held off on sending last year’s large Between The Saltwater And The Sea Strand to a gallery. I don’t know what this painting style means for my practice, and I'm still discerning what I can learn from it. I just know that I like it. Because of the amount of white in the painting, it really shines on a wall that isn’t white. This is one that my wife is reluctant to let go of, which I always take as a special compliment (I feel like she’s extremely hard to impress, haha).
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I’ve put two large abstract paintings from last year in the sale. Both I Will Hold You Forever and With Hands Braced Upon The Sill helped me to break through a period of creative uncertainty, and helped lead me to my current processes. They were created with loads of emotion and I quite like them. They are priced to sell. |
Lastly, I’ve included two older paintings in the sale: Heartstrings and In The Void (an appreciator of my artwork got a tattoo of the central onion in this painting! I thought that was pretty cool). I’d love for both of these to find good homes. Here is the Studio Sale website: https://www.un-realism.com/studio-sale-paintings
You will need a password to enter. It is: darmok&jalad You can explore each artwork, including high resolution photos (click on the artwork), frame photos and process photos. As you will see on the site, all sale prices are by request. The discounts are significant. I will check my email often this week and be as responsive as possible!
I’m offering free shipping within the USA. For international shipments, I’ll subsidize up to $200 of the shipping cost.
I now have Afterpay as a payment option! If you choose this service, your purchase is split into 4 interest-free installments, paid every 2 weeks. I hope this option is helpful.
In one week, on Wednesday the 16th, I will make this sale open to the public through social media etc. Please let me know if you have any questions! Thank you |
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First stage. I have no idea what this painting will be. I start with abstract painting, building a sense of focus with value and color. |
Next stage. I continue to build the composition. I like the bright focal warmth against the darker blue. I need an intermediary to provide interest in the rest of the painting. I choose marks of green, and start to think about darkest darks. |
Next stage: The focal area gets even hotter. The surrounding area fills out a bit more, and I'm ready to enter the representational phase. At first, I turn the painting sideways, and it feels like some sort of landscape with a sunrise or sunset. I'm tempted to make a cityscape out of this, but for some reason I resist going with the obvious. |
Next stage: The border between the pink and the yellow/orange suggests a certain shape, and potential backlit situation. I try out a transparent pitcher, and choose a forward light source (from upper right). |
Next stage: I place a green apple and start throwing some light down on the foreground area, presumably reflected from the focus. |
Next stage: I need something kinda tall and big to fill that left side of the composition and build up to the focus. I try this bottle/jug shape. At this point, I'm not convinced by the way this is going. But I press on with hope. |
Next stage: With darkness extending up from the jug, and the beginnings of another vessel on the right side, it's starting to feel balanced. Grape ghosts begin to emerge. |
Next stage: More grapes and apples, placed for balance and flow. |
Next stage: Starting to feel a radial, swirling flow, and I'm finally sure that the painting will work out. It still feels lacking in detail and strangely empty, so I decide that my flrrblz need a comeback. |
And the finished painting! Click on image for a higher res/zoomable version: |
"Incantation" 16x16in oil on linen & aluminum Artefex panel
This painting is included in the Studio Sale. |
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December 9-11 2024
The Raven & The Wolves
Still Life Composition & Painting (3-Day) Mon-Wed: 10am-5pm
Long Beach, CA |
In the next newsletter, I'll show you the painting I just finished for the RLS (Robert Lange Studios) 20th Anniversary Exhibition that opens November 1st! Thank you for reading. Until next time, Best Wishes -David |
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