flexibility in oil painting
Murphy, in progress, detail
I've been loquacious lately- I'll let this post be short and simple. The first photo was taken about one hour into painting, as Murphy's hand rested on the table. I came back to the painting five days later, and found that this position was too unnatural. So, the second photo is that of the new pose. How was the hand removed and then repositioned on the canvas? Steel wool and turpentine, some heavy scrubbing, and then repainting. Two hours after scrubbing, I had his hand roughed in as it held the glass. The next day, I spent time refining the hand and glass.
This is a reason why I love the medium of oil on linen- it is so flexible, and responds so well to the slightest impulse.
The opening reception for my five new paintings will be on January the 14th, 7 p.m., at the Salmagundi Club on Fifth Ave. I will be featuring five new works, alongside a dozen other Junior Scholarship prize winners from past years.
Murphy, 55" x 55" (cropped image), oil on linen
