In one of James Elkins’s books, there’s a chapter called
“The Studio As Psychosis.” Even outdoor painters can suffer from this. Whether
or not you pay rent on it, the studio is mostly in your head.
My struggle with and commitment to oil painting is
deepening. Results are mixed, but the work has certainly become more
challenging—and exhausting. These large-scale drawings are an attempt to offset
the angst of oils and find some pleasure in the art-making process. The subject
matter is mostly cornball, complete with seagulls and sailboats.
The limited color and concern with line make these
drawings rather than paintings for me, even though they’re on unstretched
canvas. I’m using a combination of tinted and non-tinted gesso and acrylic
paint. The tarps themselves are 6’x 9’,
most often with a 5’x 8’
image-area to allow for later stretching, but right now they look just fine
stapled to the wall.
These pictures could undoubtedly be improved by continued
work, but I’ve limited myself to two or three sessions to retain some of the
immediacy and clear touch of a gesture drawing.
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