Crit Group 2B 2.5.10

I had about 4 paintings to show on my current topic in contrast to some other work that’s been treated differently.

Most recently I have been working on oil paintings depicting people sitting together on couches. The first four I am working with are based on a series of photographs taken of the same 3 people on a single couch. I am trying to discuss their relationship to one another through their positioning. 

We discussed the difference between working with photographs and a live model. When painting with a photograph, I am able to leave areas unfinished and return back at a later time, if ever. There is a sense of freedom and experimentation. This is visible even in the brushstroke. I was feeling more trapped and pressured when the person was present with me, which gave the paintings a much more finished quality that to me felt over worked and forced. 

I leave the paintings with an unfinished quality, yet I have a problem of knowing when I want to stop. There is an overwhelming presence of white in the painting, the white of the gesso I use. I am worried that this is a negative quality, yet the group seemed to think it was helping the motion and illumination. I was given advice to use a ground in my gesso in order to get different colors and textures. 

The muted pallets seemed to be more popular. 

They recommended a book, I need to get the name- woops. 

Overall, the critique made me feel a little more confident about my subject matter because it made me realize I am able to talk about it. Hearing myself describe the work makes me realize I am not as confused as I thought. 

George Segal : christopher park