Works in Progress

I have two paintings I've been working on for years. Both have gone through changes. One has a specific vision, it's meant to be Daphne (of Greek mythology, not of Scooby Doo... although that does bring up an interesting image) and has not wavered in that vision (until just now apparently) and the only thing that keeps it from progressing is my own procrastination and my uncertainty about actual placement. It was too cartoony before, the pose of Daphne herself was unnatural, and it just wasn't coming together. So the background got repainted in bright orange to cover up what wasn't working. Daphne got curvier and her arms took on new positions that one might actually buy from a creature who is being turned from nymph to tree and there she remains.

The other painting has never had a strong vision. It started out as something completely random and shallow and then became a completely different painting when I realized I'd lost steam. It's vision now is... solid. It's just the working of it. And I think I may have made a breakthrough. When the first dramatic change came about it turned into a sea-scape. But the water of the ocean was all sharp edges and very geometric. I thought it was an interesting viewpoint to make water that way. I then did a sky with a sun that didn't work. I tried reflecting the sun in the sharp edged water and make the rays of the sun very geometric and primal in their own way and it just... wasn't happening.

It also didn't help when a friend claimed she saw a walrus climbing up a sunbeam to eat the sun. Not that art isn't subjective but that was so out of nowhere for me that it took me right out of the work.

I got rid of the sun.

My next attempt to make it work was to keep the sharp-edged ocean and balance it with a sky that was soft and smooth and had curves of wind carved into the colors. That... sort of worked. It was an idea I liked more, certainly. I remained uncertain as to whether or not sunlight should be put in to counteract the blues and greens and purples of the ocean and sky. What I was not pleased with was how the air didn't seem to jump out as much. This painting has been hanging in my apartment since I moved in. The purpose is for me to figure out what's wrong and fix it.

I think I've finally figure out what to do. Forget the sun. No sun. It will be sky and sea. The sky will be more organic but I'll be able to use as many colors as I wish... still leaning towards blues and purples but with a more sweeping turn and grand use of color. Subtlety, I think, will not work here. The ocean will still be sharp edges and 'harder' but will reflect the sky.

So, for this, I have a vision at last and I think it's one that will actually work. Took me long enough.