susan is a worried lamb
Two weeks ago I agreed to do a portrait exchange with Susan; it was another go at this portrait party business.
First I tried a conventional portrait, but just to be different I used a red pencil. And then I soaked it in diluted red india ink. And then I washed it. And tried to flatten it.
The result was something like a dying leaf ... lovely in a destroyed kind of way, and almost entirely useless.
The details are certainly charming, I said to myself as I was tearing it into squares to make a collage. At which point it just stopped being anything. At least I took some pictures first.
Next I tried a painting. Canvas, 24x48. From the first few layers there emerged something that reminded me of a Barbie box. Then came the worried lamb.
I'd been doing a lot of cursive 'h's lately, and the word 'hello' just wanted to be there.
The tilt of the head is different but I hope the eyes remain the same.
First I tried a conventional portrait, but just to be different I used a red pencil. And then I soaked it in diluted red india ink. And then I washed it. And tried to flatten it.
The result was something like a dying leaf ... lovely in a destroyed kind of way, and almost entirely useless.
The details are certainly charming, I said to myself as I was tearing it into squares to make a collage. At which point it just stopped being anything. At least I took some pictures first.
Next I tried a painting. Canvas, 24x48. From the first few layers there emerged something that reminded me of a Barbie box. Then came the worried lamb.
I'd been doing a lot of cursive 'h's lately, and the word 'hello' just wanted to be there.
The tilt of the head is different but I hope the eyes remain the same.
Susan in reds is/was beautiful and ghostly...haunting. Reminds me of someone's lost love sketched on a napkin at a bar drinking away their sorrow.
ReplyDeleteBut, oy the worried lamby Susan with blackwolf greetings is memorable. Her eyes and mouth go deep. Images like this make it into my dreams at night.
Lucky Susan.
ooh lucky yes! i look like i did in my thirties. danke. they are both lovely portraits. i like the lamb image and glad it bypassed barbie.
ReplyDeleteso nice in red too.
i will post your portrait soon. finished it today.
I'm impressed you put so much time and effort into drafting and redrafting this. I don't think myself or my last portrait swapper were as conscientious (http://toenailclippings.blogspot.com/2007/05/is-this-sign.html)
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely fabulous - Love it ! I was going to look in your shop to see if it was for sale but, then read back that it was in fact a trade.boo hoo.
ReplyDeletethey're up now! thanks, darryl.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work! I love the letters. Do you like German Expressionism?
ReplyDelete