I Paint Like a Movie Plot

I just realized that the process by which I paint is like your standard Hollywood movie plot.

1. In the early stages we are introduced to the characters and begin to build an understanding of the interrelationships and potential plot.  Translated into paint-speak I’m blocking in the values to get a grasp of composition and how things sit in relation each other spatially.
2. We start to know a little more about the characters/situations and at this point, we have made a connection with the hero and now feel empathy towards him/her.  On the canvas things are starting to take shape as I introduce colours.  I’m starting to feel pleased with myself.
3. Suddenly things take a downward spiral.  Our hero faces a desperate situation.  How will he/she prevail?  At this point something somewhere has gone wring with the painting.  This usually happens about three quarters of the way through the process.  My faith starts to waiver and I ponder the possibility that this piece might be consigned to the pile of “lessons learned”.
4. Just when things seem to be at their darkest the hero thwarts the bad guy(s) and wins the day.  After what seems like a nothing stroke everything is magically pulled together and I end up with a painting I’m pleased with.
5. Roll credits.  I sign the painting.

Before you ask: yes, the downward spiral happens on pretty much every piece I do.  Some worse than others.  At least there’s almost always a happy ending…

The World's Crappiest Studio?

I’m not a professional artist (yet).  My family’s home is a modest 1950’s bungalow somewhere in the suburban spread on the island of Montreal:  certainly not the bohemian funky neighbourhood loft of a beatnik groove-poet or paint-pusher.   It’s the home of an IT Business Analyst and, as a general rule; IT Business Analysts don’t need studio space.  As such, I have to carve out a space and time that I can paint in and I have to work around the limitations that this imposes.  Subsequently I paint in the evenings in the basement.  There is no, I repeat no, natural light.  I was wondering how many extra-curricular artists are out there, forging their craft in any number of less than ideal locales, just because they love to do what they do.  I thought it might be fun to share with the world some of the tools of my trade.  Who knows: maybe it will help someone.  Maybe someone will post a killer tip for me….

• Plein-air kit indoors.  As my space is more often a basement living space than a studio I need transportable gear, so I have a collapsible light-weight easel, and a carry case for pretty much everything else.
• Floor standing daylight lamp.  If there’s no natural light then manmade will have to do.  Nothing fancy here, just a 3-bulb lamp and regular daylight bulbs.  Works for me!
• Drop cloths.  I have pretty bad “palette discipline” (maybe I’ll go into that in a future post) and I get almost as much paint on me as on the canvas.  The drop cloths have saved me thousands in cleaning costs.
• Apple TV.  Bet you weren’t expecting this one.  I paint in front of the TV.  My Apple TV hooks my TV up with iTunes on my PC.  This means I can display photos on my TV and guess where I get my subject matter for painting…..that’s right: digital photos.  The Apple TV also lets me stream my music to the TV which makes it even more useful.
• Bonus: Photoshop and a DSLR camera.  OK, so not really part of the studio, but PS is beyond outstanding as a post-painting aid.  I can take a photo of my latest work in the man-made light of the basement and Photoshop it into the actual colours and contrast you’d see in the daylight.

One day I hope to emerge from the subterranean gloom…