A corner of the studio
A: Actually it was the other way around. As I’ve mentioned, I was a maker of pastel-on-sandpaper paintings long before I became a photographer (1986 vs. 2002). However, the photos in the “Gods and Monsters” series were meant to be photographs in their own right, i.e., they were not made to be reference material for paintings. in an interesting turn of events, in 2007 I started a new series, “Black Paintings,” which uses the “Gods and Monsters” photographs as source material. Collectors who have been following my work for years tell me the new series is the strongest yet. For now I’m enjoying where this work is leading. The last three paintings are the most minimal yet and I’ve begun thinking of them as the “Big Heads.” There is usually a single figure (“Stalemate” has two) that is much larger than life size. “Epiphany” (above, left) is an example. All of them are quite dramatic when seen in person, especially with their black wooden frames and mats.
Comments are welcome!
Filed under: An Artist's Life, Black Paintings, Creative Process, Gods and Monsters, Inspiration, Painting in General, Pastel Painting, Photography, Working methods Tagged: "Big Heads", "Black Paintings", "Epiphany", "Gods and Monsters", "Stalemate", black, collectors, corner, departure, dramatic, figure, follow, frame, image, in person, life size, material, mats, medium, minimal, new, paintings, photo, photograph, photographer, prompt, reference, relationship, series, single, soft pastel on sandpaper, source, Studio, wooden, years
