Yellow

For the last few years this blog was updated at least once a month. Those days are long gone now. Life is just too busy for such blatant indulgence and it's no loss. There was a time it kind of served a reflective purpose but like most things, it eventually turned into a bad marketing attempt that simply informed readers of insignificant achievements and listings of when artwork would be on display. So, it fell to the wayside, but I find myself with a moment and wanted to actually expressed some real emotions rather than pitch some event. 

Lately the color yellow has been overwhelmingly prevalent in daily thoughts and even subconscious thoughts. It's all because of this building I drive by on a regular basis. It's some bordered up building that was a probably a gas station or something else in it's previous life. The main walls of the structure are painted yellow and when I see it, the color yellow invades my mind and doesn't leave for days. Nightly dreams in yellow hues have even followed, day and night I'm consumed by the color. While working on other paintings my thoughts drift to yellow and I soon lose track of what I'm doing. At first I try to ignore it, thinking it will go away and leave me be. But it doesn't. I don't even consider taking a photograph cause there's no way I'd even have time to start another painting. Life does not care about Art. Life always moves forward, never pausing so you can have the time to get the yellow out of your mind.  And if you take a pause from Life at the wrong time, Life will get its revenge and move on without you. So, you bide your time and wait for an opening, a small sliver of time when the walls aren't closing in and you can get a clear thought out. 

Today I finally had to gave in and start on the piece. A rough sketch in spray paint that's ultimately all wrong but will work as a beginning. The amazing thing about using spray paint is the large amount of color that can quickly be added to the canvas and used as a guide for what will eventually be the final image. It's clearly to clunky and large to be accurate, but the color serves as the perfect roadmap to get you where you're going and you'll still be able to see it's contribution even after you paint over it with acrylic cause it affects everything from color to composition. Lines become shadows while shapes evolve into blocks of solid color that are unique onto themselves. 

Ultimately what ends up happening is more time spent painting which after a few days of adjustment, works into a complementary accompaniment to Life. When that hits it's stride, smooth sailing is ahead, for at least awhile, anyway.