Lab Book #14, Part 9: the Fire Eater

This is the final installment in the Lab Book 14 mini-series (please see the previous blog for part 8 posted today). The idea behind this painting actually came about as a result of writing this blog. I had been writing a few entries about how to paint fire (Stay Warm-Unleash Your Creativity, and Escaping the Act), and had the idea to make a whole painting based on the illusion of fire. In the bottom right of the painting I placed a cartoon face (a composite of many doodles) holding fire up to her mouth. Initially there were no eyelids but the character looked way too freaked out about the fire, she is a professional after all.

I tried to include the illusion of fire-light in every part of this painting. The fire originates from the bottom right, and there is also a second light source (the cool blue moon at top left). Some objects are lit with both light sources, see the two women in dresses and the crowd in the middle, their fronts have warm highlights from the fire while their heads and shoulders are lit by the blue moon. The distant background elements (trees, and rising smoke) are also illuminated by the fire, which gives the sense that this fire is quite strong, projecting light well into the horizon. The face of the Fire Eater is also lit up, with intense primary colours on the left part of his face, which fade to cool greens and blues on the right. One final note on composition of this series, I made sure that the center of interest (the main focal element) was in a different position for each work....compare the Fire Eater (bottom right) to the Burlesque Dancer (top left). This way, when looking at them one after another, your eye will always fall to a different place.

20x16" hot press, 2009