Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Peeling Paint & Collecting Water

I've been itching to paint lately--just looking for the right subject. I've had a nautical theme in mind. Something coastal--something one might see if they were to visit Wesleyville, Maine (if in fact that provincial little town existed outside of my imagination!). In my novel UNCHARTED, there's a dilapidated old pram, disintegrating into a heap of old lobster traps and buoys. This isn't the exact scene, but it puts me in that same place. It's such a sad sight, in a way. This little skiff used to have a mast and likely provided hours of leisurely sailing...now it's just peeling paint and collecting water


Thanks to Liza Carens Salerno for providing me an inspiring image (to be posted later). Many of you know her from her Middle Passages, her writing blog, where she has links to some of her other beautiful photography. She also has a professional copywriter Website, LCS Writes.

13 comments:

  1. It is going to be so fun to watch this progress!

    ReplyDelete
  2. ...Now to do the wash...
    Thanks for the image, Liza! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like seeing the various stages of a piece of art. I guess that's why Bob Ross's show was so popular.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think that's what I liked about Bob Ross--watching the process...though his "happy trees" gave me the shivers...;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, I can't wait to see this in more stages!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Just from the outline, I can already tell I'm going to enjoy this painting. I like the layout, I can picture the colors to come, and best of all, it contains no happy little trees.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! Only happy little grasses! :)
      You posted your comment about 2 seconds before I put up some progress...I really start enjoying it once the wash is down. That's when the process all starts coming back to me.

      (and I really like this little reply thing blogger has now!)

      Delete
    2. I really glad Blogger finally implemented threaded comments; it'll be great to be able to talk back to people.

      Delete
  7. I am finally back, painfully so, but back.

    Your sketch looks...kinda' sketchy. But the perspective is right on and the little boat looks lonesome. Somehow I know that this is going to turn into a masterpiece, and it is hard for me to comprehend how that can happen.

    If I were told to create art out of this, I would pull out my Crayolas and start coloring between the lines. I suspect your technique is a bit more sophisticated.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I knew you’d be back around! :) (sorry ‘bout your back).

      Okay, now... when you start complementing my perspective it’s just too tempting to point out that the peak on the foremost window gable should be higher and pointier, but I won’t because I don’t want to come off sounding too self-deprecating…

      Delete
  8. Of course, I never would have noticed that if you hadn't pointed it out. But I almost have to plop a straight edge against the screen to verify it.

    Now that I have watched the transformation take place from sketchy sketch to a living scene, it makes me want to paint. Maybe I can start with a blade of grass....a big one, not a tiny little detailed one. On second thought...

    I'm just going to whisper this so no one else will hear. You are magnificent!

    ReplyDelete
  9. You don't need a straight edge to see it! Just look at how thin and pointy it gets at the top of the one in the back, and compare that to the foremost--kinda squatty-looking.

    ...and I'll just whisper back so no one can hear. You should get out your paints!

    ReplyDelete

You don't have to comment, but I won't stop you...