by Eric Fortune
Firstly, because the previous post kicks arse. Secondly, and most of you have probably been through this, I’m in the process of pulling an all nighter( if you’re a vampire like John Palencar it’s called an “all dayer”;). Hooray! I’ve been eating small meals throughout the day as well as a short power nap here and there for the long haul. If I eat too much the “itis” kicks in and I’m no good. It also helps to balance out the coffee intake I have set up in an IV. The IV is nice cause I don’t have to waste time actually drinking. The diaper frees up….well, I’ll leave that one alone.
I don’t feel too horribly stressed out because I spent most of the time painting the important areas first, the figure. I’m at a stage now where I’m painting a lot of drapery and plan to try and loosen up a bit and enjoy the process. I’ll most likely take it as far as I can within the next several hours and tweak it in photoshop. It’s also printing quite small so the piece should tighten up nicely.
Here’s a progress shot…yeah, defitely some photoshop.
If there's anyone else up late and looking for something to listen to while painting. I'm currently checking our Ray Kurzweil's lecture and it's pretty damn interesting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43zo82W7aPI
Is it the age of spirtual machines? That is a great audiobook. Good to work to.
I can relate to the late night painting and coffee routine…
– Brian Giberson
I'm staying up pretty late on a heavy dose of Earl Grey Tea while I paint. A couple of my favourites on the listen these days are the Social Network soundtrack and this lecture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVRsWAjvQSg&feature=related
I'm writing all night, similar.
I'm about to set up my coffee drip as well. Hope your 4 am treats you well.
You are amazing.
Staying up late with green tea as my partner in crime to finish some artwork over here, too.
Nothing like that satisfaction of knowing the piece is finally done, though! : D *happy feet* Good luck!
– Stephanie
diaper?! bahaha 😛 good luck, the figure is stunning.
Eric-
I'm curious… From what I know of your work, this image is a departure from your usual other-world aesthetic.
It is beautiful, don't get me wrong, and it is wonderfully quiet- something I LOVE in your work- but this does seem much more “literal”. (If I can use that word to describe an image.)
Can you say a word or two on it?
Thanks. -Steve.
I'm curious about what the painting is for and how quick the deadline was that forced you to skip sleeping. Can you let us in on the situation that put you in the trenches?
That's a killer painting, Eric. Hope the all-nighter was fruitful.
Anonymous aka Steve- You're absolutely right. My work varies from time to time. Sometimes my figural distortions and environment are more extreme than others. I guess I'm going with intuition as to what feels right for each painting I do. It felt nice to approach reality a little more. Perhaps this is a balance happening in my work. As artists I think we all continue to evolve and change. And that may include circling back to reinvestigate prior interests.
Scott- Without getting into too much detail it was an amalgamation of many things happening at the same time in my life. Also, I planned on painting this half the size originally but got excited and thought it would look cool bigger. Ultimately, I'm glad I did, but then again, I just woke up.
I have mismanaged my time before or tricked myself into thinking I can paint faster than I do( I guess I can paint faster, it's just not as enjoyable. At the same time I like that instant charge/focus you get when a deadline approaches. I wish I could control that more). It sucks but you meet the deadline.
Some advice I gave while teaching or even talking with art buddies about approaching a new piece of art if they haven't painted in awhile. I always suggest a manageable size. Around 15×20″ We're all excited and full of steam in the beginning. However, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and if you don't stay on task the large paintings can take so long you lose interest and may begin to abhor it. Lesson learned? Probably not;)
Grayhouse- thanks for the link. Perhaps I'll have a “Sharing” post where everyone can post their favorite audio book/podcast/lecture/etc (minus Beastiality, it's just so played out nowadays) that inspires us while we work.
Beastiality, all played out? Damn.