Models Wanted

For my next painting, I want to paint other people. Just because I'm not Frida Kahlo, and I don't wish to explore my own face much further. At least, not until I've finally had a haircut.

It's hard knowing where to go next. I mean, not wanting to blow one's own trumpet but I feel the self portrait was enough to get my skills back, and enough to know that I can still do the observational thing, so now it's time to actually start thinking in terms of composition, and actually looking nice.

I guess the logical step would be to take my camera out. I can use photoshop to play about with things, make a maquette of a painting if you will. It's a useful method that I never tried back in college.

I'm not really concerned with conveying a message or any sort of social commentary, but I like the idea of making an image that implies there's a story behind what you see. A bit like Edward Hopper did.

It's funny, there's a very filmic quality about Hopper's paintings which I love, but perhaps part of that is based on the fashion. The clothes and settings are very 'early hollywood'. So it somehow feels less interesting in my own work to see people wearing clothes of today.

But the thing is, they were "clothes today" when he was painting them. So if I was to paint someone in adidas tracksuits and a baseball cap, 80 years down the line, would someone feel that the paintings created a sense of place and a certain nostalgia for the turn of the 21st century?




Probably not.

Anyway, I shouldn't worry about it at first. The problem is I feel too eager to make something meaningful now, when really I have done 1 painting since my art-restart, and I have a long way to go.

I'll leave you with probably one of my favourite Edward Hopper paintings:


(I knew more of his work I'd probably choose a less obvious one)