Sunday, March 31, 2013

"Red House"


10x8" oil on canvas panel

My mom's husband saw this painting hanging in my hallway and asked "what the hell happened with that one?" You may be asking yourself the same question.

I'm in the process of deconstructing my approach to painting. I have no idea where I'm going but it's probably going to be a bit bumpy.

6 comments:

Sue said...

I'll be totally honest - that was my reaction too! Good for you for posting it though, I'm interested to see where you're going with this.

Michael Chamberlain said...

Thanks Sue! I've done several more messy paintings and decided it's probably more of a mindset change needed than a stylistic one. It was liberating to slop on the paint though, I think it helped me come to that conclusion.

Sue said...

You are so right, it is very liberating to do things in a different way, even if it doesn't change anything. Today I'm working with white bronze instead of silver. The silver I use is really expensive and the bronze costs next to nothing in comparison, so I'm working much bigger than I usually do. Conclusion: I like to work really small, even when the cost of the material isn't an issue.

Michael Chamberlain said...

Interesting to hear about your process Sue. I think it's important to explore other options, stepping into the woods once in a while is a good way to regain appreciation for the path you're traveling. Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments!

Mary Sheehan Winn said...

LOL the "Soul of Tact", as a friend used to say.
Well, you've really improved.

Kanna said...

Hey, I really like whatever the hell happened with this one. I think I get what you're trying out, I'm trying it too.
A guy who was giving a Gamblin talk said something I found interesting... that making art is like a wavy line that goes up and down and up and down over and over. You start out at the bottom and work hard and finally start having success and everything's great (top of the curve) and then you keep doing the same thing because it's been working, and then it starts to lose it's freshness (drop down the next curve) and then you have to try something new, struggle, make crappy stuff (bottom of curve) and then with hard work it gets better and you get to the top again... over and over. Sounded about right to me! Looks like you are on the upside of the curve, Michael! :)