"Improvisation" - 1

Beginning the rendering - started with the nail, then the ring, and worked out from there...   the 'pushing the values' will be after everything is laid out - the pot is the darkest object because is black, but the others vary according to what they be...  and, of course, the shadows will be in after all is laid out, too...

and yes, forgot to mark in the bottom of the pot when transferring, which will be remedied soon...

"Improvisation" - the sketch

Shifting away for the moment from cherries of any stripe, this is simply a take-off on the old 'stone or nail soup' notion...  for the present, this, when transferred to the canvas sheet, will be rendered in b/w - tho at one time it was to have the stones be in color [then, for a short time, the whole in color - then sanity return]...   the pot will be a black pot, and the background very dark, almost black but just enough to show the board edges...

The Persistence of Variations...

As any who follow the works I have been doing over time, there can easily be seen continued variations of objects used in theming...  the most prevalent being cherries...  and it has not ended - as one of the upcoming renderings will again make use of them as part of a still life theme/titled "Primary Muses"...   why is this, the continued use of an object in so many diverse manners?  a good question indeed, and the only answer at present that can be given is that inspiration from the mind sees many possibilities in the use - and so long as there remains a sufficient diversity of the variations, it probably will continue [or at least with expected other inspirations marking interludes here and there]...   when this phenomena first evidenced itself, there was some concern of it, as was unexpected, there previously having been a host of diverse theming from many other objects [and cherries were not the first to be like this, just so far the most prominent]...  now, there is no concern, as am intrigued by how diverse these variations have been, and am delighted at seeing the many ways the mind composes metaphoric relations like this... and, to be sure, there are others who wish they had such mechanizations running in their minds...

"Pitter Patter" 8

While the cherries so far are just Scarlet ink over the grisaille, there are more layerings on the bowl - first one of sepia, then lemon yellow, then another of sepia, as seen here in progress, to show the difference of before/after...

 and all is now done except for the shelf...........

 which is now done, having layered flame orange over it, which gives it a warm brown...

"Pitter Patter" 7

The grisaille of the foreground is now done...  so - on with the coloring, bring it all into 'living color'...

 and here's the start...

"Pitter Patter" 6

Now on to the grisaille of the cherries, got this far today before had to stop, so as NOT to be making mistakes, especially any more bloops [at this late stage, it'd be hard to 'save']...  what am now doing is having just the tip if the nib in the ink, so there is little to group behind the split...  and thus is making returning to the bottle a numerous  and time consuming affair [but better safe  than sorry]...

"Pitter Patter" 5

The grisaille for the shelf is done, and am on with the bowl, afterwards will then come the cherries....

 and with the bowl done, comes the cherries next... then be coloring everything...

"Pitter Patter" 4

Turning now to the shelf, am stippling with the large nib using prussian blue...  






 
with further updating....

Importance and Theming

I am often asked how is it such theming takes place within my works...  in an earlier posting, there was mention of 'what is important' to a work, specifically "Quiet Moment", with several questions asked - in the hopes some would think on them and analyze them in regards to this work, not as a critique, as such, to this work, but as a means of better grasping the nature of how theming goes, how one pieces together aspects of a work so that it all better fits together in an integrated fashion [remember, it is the theme/title which comes first in my works, with the visualizations as consequence, not the usually done of trying to find a theme amidst a work and tagging a title thus to it]...  the same can be asked of this ongoing rendering, "Pitter Patter" in part because the reason for that title is not as easily seen as was the other one, yet is as vital to what is rendered...

Why these words?  what do they connote, regardless of what is seen in the working rendering?  how, then would this connotation apply to the rendering?  what other metaphoric relatings can be derived from this - why?  with every object, because it is included, being as such a symbol, what are the cherries a symbol of - or rather, what could they be symbols of, since being metaphoric, they can symbolize many things?  does everything seem to tie together, or does there seem some inconsistency - if so, where, and why the seeming?  is everything balanced - and is the balance dynamic or static?  why - and if static, what could improve it, and why?

Many persons have commented to me about how my works 'make them think' - asking these questions helps grasp why this is so, and in turn shows a manner in which one can, as an artist, do much the same with their own works, with the end result of improving if nothing else the consistency, the integrating of whatever is in those works...  this in turn would also improve the amount of satisfaction an artist can find in their work, as well as seeing a reflected satisfaction from viewers of the works - for the same fundamental reasons...

"Pitter Patter" 3

And the right side curtain is down...

"Pitter Patter" 2

The left curtain is basically down, using F W flesh ink...  there will be refinements after the other curtain is in place, to get the in/out of the folds...