Through the Window

Oils on canvas
8 x 10”
2011

I’ve recently developed a method in my painting. I call it “Accretion”.

Here I found an online image of an eye. This eye is so extraordinary in color I had to make a painting of it. I thought a little 3 x 5” painting of this wonderful eye. As I made a preliminary composition, I kept thinking of things to add. It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t have taken a photograph of that eye myself because I’d have seen just what I needed for true colors, and the photo would have been at the highest resolution whereas what I had was a tiny resolution. This is normally not a big deal because I adjust, create and invent my own colors when working from a photo anyway. And so I did here.

I repeat myself about photographing my art. This is one of the worst. My colors are drying at such crazy different times that some of the image looks blotchy and not properly blended. Let me assure that in one month or 6 weeks drying, when I varnish the painting all will integrate the way I mean it to. Another thing of possible interest: there’s one, and only one, place in this painting that’s pure black (Ivory black): on the right edge of the trunk and large branch of the apple tree. The pupil of the eye is skin tones, deep blue and green. The outside inch or so (which blends into the darks of the edges of the curtains—not the way it looks here) is made up of Burnt Umber and Thalo Blue.

Finally finished. The outside looks blotchy but it's not. Just can't photograph some paintings.