Lab Book #14, Part 5: the Strong Man

In this installment of the lab book #14 series I attempt to convey the impression of strength and support with a network of flowing lines that converge on a character (the strong man) in the bottom left of the picture. In the middle a cartoon cat helps take some of the weight with a smile. As with the other paintings in this series I repeat a signature rusty-red colour throughout the design, and also give a glimpse into the outdoors (just below the cat) where there is a blue sky and trees. When I make a doodle painting I go through my lab notes page by page, copying the doodles into the finished painting. Because I go through the pages in order, it is often a challenge to try and fit a random doodle into a larger painting with an established theme. This painting in particular was difficult, as there was really no person in my doodles, nor any kind of barbell or obvious image that would covey a circus strong man. My strategy then, was to put a lot of elements in the top of the design, making it top-heavy, and then connecting these elements to the character at the bottom. To note, I have just completed the final part of this series, Part 9, the Fire Eater, last weekend. That makes 9 lab-book paintings completed under three months! 

Lab Book #14, Part 5: the Strong Man, watercolour 12 x 16" hot press, 2009 (No. 1804)

Eiffel Tower View from Montmarte, Paris, France

In the north of Paris lies Montmarte, a 130m mountain with the extraordinary Sacre-Coure basilica on top, and not to mention a lot of tourists. Popular for it's view, Montmarte was a famous meeting spot for artists, and now seems to be an expensive 'yuppie' (or the French equivalent) upperclass neighborhood teeming with souvenir stands and rather cheap looking artwork. At least there was no McDonalds. The funny thing about it, was that if you got off the crowded streets by even a block or two, there were virtually no people and you could enjoy the peacefulness of this very classy and beautiful district. Behind the hazy silhouette of the Eiffel tower is the distant blurr of the horizon. To paint this effect requires careful timing. You start with the pink/blue sky, and when it is still fairly wet add in the horizon. Wait for it to dry, and then put on the Eiffel tower. While you are waiting for the background to dry (which could take between 1 minute and 10 minutes depending on the humidity), work on a different part of the painting. I worked on the details of the cars in the foreground and the rooftops near the front while I waited for the sky and horizon to dry (and also waited for an annoying tourist to get out of the way). The very last thing was the lamp post in the foreground, which was painted right on top of the other layers. 

Eiffel Tower View from Montmarte, watercolour 7.5 x 11" cold press, 2009 (No. 1240)

Lab Book #14, Part 4: the Trapeze Artist

By the time I did part 4 of the Lab Book 14 mini-series I had abandoned the idea that each scene would take place in the setting of a circus tent. as you can see in the painting, the main character (the trapeze artist) is flying across the horizon, hoping to catch the hands of her partner (in the upper right of the picture). Unfortunately the partner does not have any hands. In the background is a lake and a sunset with a dirty smoke stack, in the foreground is a collection of clutter tastefully arranged.

Lab Book #14, Part 4: the Trapeze Artist, watercolour 12 x 16" hot press, 2006 (No. 1803)

 

Exit Signs (the Revolving Door of Fate) study

Resulting from a series of strange dreams I had, this painting depicts a figure crossing a bridge and heading for the exit sign. In spiritual readings such as tarot or runes, there is a death symbol, the dead man card, and the yew-symbol, respectively. In both divination systems death does not have to mean physical death, nor does it have to necessarily be the end of something in your life, but it can indicate the transition phase of a person, less ominously, it can thus mean a new beginning. This painting also has the meaning of 'exiting' something, but also has the flowering vines suggestive of life, and notice that the door and window have blue sky, revealing that there is something after the exit. An alternate interpretation is that the figure is himself entering the picture (coming from the door) as it has not been made obvious which way the character is going. The 'revolving door of fate' may be a better name for the painting? Perhaps I will include that in the title.

I tried to make a larger version of this painting and I have to say it was quite a disappointment. There are some designs that simply belong on a smaller format such as this one. All to often I see a large oil painting offered at an art store, and think, it would have been much better on a smaller format. Unfortunately the decoration market (something nice to hang on your big, empty wall) has driven the size of paintings up and up, and also driven the quality of paintings generally down (or at least into a homogenous din). I wonder if modern art has suffered in the last hundred years as other forms of visual art have taken over (colour photos, posters, and now digital picture displays), and the remaining niche for art is to act as a sort of distilled down wallpaper in a frame?

Exit Signs (the Revolving Door of Fate) study, watercolour 7.5 x 11" cold press, 2002 (No. 1348a)

Catamaran, Barbados

Ahhhh, the sun...lest we forget what sunlight looks like I offer another Barbados painting for your viewing pleasure. A catamaran is parked peacefully upon the shore, the brisk warm wind creating ripples in the topaz-coloured water and ruffling the sail. And for 20US a local Bajan would take you out for a ride. Of course the locals always try to charge as much as they can, I got nicked on the cab ride from the plane, it turns out that any cab ride in Barbados can not cost more than 20 bajan (10 US), next time I will know! Here is a great example of the 'English style' of watercolour painting, which means that no white paint is used. All of the white highlights (the clouds, the sunlight on the boat, the ripples in the water) had to be kept as white paper without any paint on it. Even the sail and the pontoons were virtually white paper with light grey washes. It helps a lot to think ahead when you start as to where the highlights will be, and then remember to keep this spaces free. Putting in an outline helps but be careful because a heavy pencil or paint outline will spoil the effect of the highlight. Ideally you have an outline-free highlight because hard edges make it look fake...better to blurr the edges a bit with clean water. 

Catamaran Rockley Beach, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press November 2001 (No. 1176)

Lab Book #14, Part 3: The Magician

At this point I was really on a roll with the Lab Book #14 series. The concept of a surrealistic circus had begun to wane a little, in this edition the actual Magician is barely recognizable (he is the character on the right with the egg-shaped head), however it still stays true to the overall feel of the series. The signature red-brown colour appears throughout the work, the design is flowing and organic, and the colour scheme is pure psychedelic. On that note, I was listening to the Beatles Abbey Road album and was particularly inspired by John Lenon's Walrus song...the lyric 'egg man' appears next to the egg shaped head. How have I been taking these digital pictures of my artwork? The type of camera does not really matter for these small on line images, for the initial pictures I was using the old power shot A20 model from ten years ago. The key factor really is the type of light. Indoor light (even under a regular 100 watt light bulb) is really the worst, the result comes out all orangy-brown. If the flash goes off, then the colours get all washed out. By far the cheapest strategy is to wait for a a really sunny day, and go outside....put the painting on the ground and stand over the picture (careful not to put your shadow or foot in the way). More expensive is to get some real studio lights with strong bulbs, which I do not have (although 'image of brain repair' was done in this way by professionals). The nice thing about having the indoor lights is that you can use them in the winter. I am only now posting the Lab Book 14 paintings done in January because I had to wait over a month for the sun to come out! 

Lab Book #14, Part 3: the Magician, watercolour 12 x 16" hot press, 2008 (No. 1802)

Escaping the Act

We all have days when we feel a little bit like the fellow in this picture, trying to juggle on a shaky pole with snakes and crocodiles waiting underneath for you in a flaming pit. Meanwhile, a group of uptight looking scientists take notes on your performance. Eyes cast to the exit, you see a nice, warm looking beach, ahh, how do I get there? The source of my inspiration for this painting is indicated on the cave wall, in primitive cave-painting style the T cell-receptor system (subject of my Ph.D.) is depicted. Yes, the comparison with my Ph.D. comprehensive exam (an oral examination that lasts for 4 hours), and this painting, are hard to avoid. This painting provides another good example on how to depict fire. The light from the flames is reflecting on the aligators back, the pit, and the three dudes standing near the pit. Notice the lab coat being worn by one of the judges has orange in the front, fading to blue in the back. There is also a second light source in this painting, the exterior blue sky, which reflects on the cave floor, and on the character on the pole. I wanted the light to emphasize the theme...the judges are connected to the fire (the stress), while the character is connected to the exterior (the escape), and the light-reflections described above reinforce this connection visually. also, the charcters eyes are looking at the exit, further making the point that he wants to get the hell out after he is done his act. 

Escaping the Act, watercolour 10 x 14" hot press, 2002 (No. 1342)