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Work in Progress
For so long I have worked in the smaller format, usually 9×12 and under, and I think the reason is mostly due to the environment here in my home. With having two children under the age of 5, to complete something smaller seemed like a much more attainable thing. Lately I have had this feeling that it’s time to spread out a little, stretch out, see the possibilities that working in a larger space can offer. New ideas and fresh inspiration have come from just holding these larger blanks in my hands.
With larger sizes seems to come so many more positive possibilities, but also a risk that I am not used to. I have been feeling a bit uneasy devoting so much time to such small little areas not feeling confident of where it’s even going and how I will feel about the end result. I have worked for so long starting a piece with just a simple sketch and letting them evolve on their own. That style has been the reason why things push and pull back and forth, and probably the reason it takes me so long to finish something. So whether I do it because it’s habit, or it’s just how I work, I don’t seem to be able to approach these bigger pieces much different.
So with this one, again I am coming in with very little intention on what the end result will be in terms of details, all that I know is the overall vibe that I am after. And with WIP photos comes the normal comparison of the piece from what it is now, from what it was 5 hours ago. Did I make smart changes, how will what I am doing now effect the very vague view I have in my mind of where I actually want this piece to go? I decided awhile back to do my best to squash these questions and uneasy feelings and just go with it, so now I will move on to more constructive observations.
WIP’s really are such a useful tool. One thing that I loved so much about this model was her figure. It’s hard to tell from the detail that I have in here thus far, but her posture and demeanor is so relaxed and almost vulnerable, and I love the shape of her body. While working over her dress in this second sitting, I was so focused on the detail of the fabric that I hadn’t realized that I was morphing the shape of her figure. Her waist is cinched and her posture is stronger. It’s something that I know that I would never have realized this early on had I not had the comparison from a few hours before. While I still have many many hours to spend on the these areas of her dress, to get the detail that I hope to get, I will be paying special attention to getting her figure back to how it was when I started. I can see those key issue spots like red waving flags, and they are so bothersome to me. These will definitely be the first areas that I address when I get back to work on it.
Great post Lauren. Looking forward to seeing this one progress.
Here’s a little idea… fill a larger surface with 2 or more figures? that way you could approach it like doing 3 smaller pieces, but they just happen to be on the same surface? Might act as a kind of bridge for you if you wanted to get used to working larger.
I love this…it’s so eerie.
I’d love to see how this work has progressed, although I have to say that I really like it in this unfinished state. You’re right, it is eerie. You could make these into a series of prints, different stages of the same piece. Maybe four or five prints of the various stages of completion. Then frame them in a row, in a multi-window frame!
gorgeous, I love seeing the process
This is simply fascinating
Watching a piece actual evolve for real
What a privilege
Does she have a face yet? is she going to get a face? haha
Thanks guys! Emily, that’s part of my problem with a lot of my work, I very much like them/it in its unfinished state too, but I think it’s because it really supports the vibe that I am after, especially with this piece.
Chad, I am working on her slowly. She actual had a face and head and then I couldn’t make right with it, so off went her head again. I work very slowly on things like this. When I don’t know what move to make next, I don’t make any moves. I just keep it displayed in my art space and work on other things until I get the feeling that I know where to go again. The dress has developed a lot since. To answer your questions, she probably won’t have a face.
That makes sense, I try to do the same thing, better to not do anything if you’re not sure sometimes. I’ve been taking much longer to finish things then I ever used to. When I was trying to work with galleries I was always trying to get as much done as I could but slowing down and spending more time certainly improves the end result.
I like the mystery of no face