Sunning by the Window

Love doing figures trying to mesh them in the background to make them less of a "study" and more interesting. I find the process difficult mainly because although I tend to work spontaneously and fast when I stop the "block" sets in and it's hard to continue as it's usually a thought process rather than intuition. Something I will have to work on more.

Taking a Sunbath by the Window

20 x 13.75 "

Gessoed Paper with acrylic background

Charcoal and Crayons

Ingres A Mash-Up

Our first class project! Aesthetics and beauty, on the border of kitsch.  To help us out Reuven gave us an article written by Kant on the subject. I brought two entries, first one of my figure painting done in the e-course Feel the Pose see post, and a mash-up of Ingre's Reclining Venus. This is the second mash-up that I have done and really enjoyed the process.

The critique on my painting was favorable but my mash-up did not "do it" in Reuven's words. Needed a twist. Put on my "thinking hat" sometimes referred to as my Dotty hat.

Today I brought in the result and this time hit the bull's eye!  The only suggestion was to push the golden bed back so the figure gets the attention! I used several techniques in the process. Manipulation in the style of D'Vinci of the figure and black background transfer, transfer of view of the room behind which didn't turn out so well so I painted over in metallic paint, plus collage pieces crayons, acrylic, metallic paints, in short, all but the kitchen sink.

Further inquiry about the painting I found that it is a copy of the same nude by Titian for the sculptor
Lorenzo Bartolini 

But what is the real story behind the scenes? Who is the woman in the background, and why is the child seemingly crying. The woman, perhaps a handmaid, seems to be consoling the child! The naked woman, although called Venus, is perhaps awaiting her first client?

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Reclining Venus

Mash-Up # 1

Mash-Up # 2

Mash-Up # 3

My first mash-up was done for an online course from Cousera in Art History from 

• California Institute of the Arts, 

  A History of Art for Artists, Animators, and Gamers

• 
  

The best course so far that I have taken. The assignment was to do a mash-up of the famous painting by Valazquez. Las Meninas! I just looked at my folder for the course and YAY I have ALL the videos. I can now retake the course.

Mash-Up Assignment

Photo Montage

Valezquez

Las Meninas

After much thought, I felt that Las Meninas reminded me of the pageants for young girls that exploit

their femininity and sexuality. At my weekly workshop I noticed two Barbie dolls that my friend

Riva was working on and photographed them to use on my assignment. It is a riff on some of the

themes, exploitation, reflections, looking in and being seen and in this case the "photographers"

process