Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Tango in the Square

This painting was submitted to this week's Daily Paintworks Challenge  ... It's the Tangerine Tango Challenge.  Who knew?

I am playing with a technique new to me that I learned in a Jennifer Bowman workshop on Sunday.  Although I have used black gesso before [successfully IMHO], Jennifer showed me a technique of dragging a loaded brush over the gessoed  canvas, allowing some of the black canvas to peek through.  Clearly, I am having touble with it.  On the one hand, I need to load the brush with enough paint to not look wishy washy or "limp," but on the other hand, if I drag too much paint acroos, then I lose the black.  What to do.  Oh I know, war and world peace, the economy, climate change and other issues are way more important than my breaking the code with my painting, but dang if it doesn' just gnaw at my insides that I can't do this!  Promise to self to master in the next several weeks.

Here it is, painted from a photo I took of tango dancers in Pioneer Square in Portland in August.

Tango in the Square ~ 12" x 12" acrylic

5 comments:

Barb Sailor said...

Dee - you may not be happy with this, but I love it and love the technique! Great Job.

Sue Van Etten said...

I love it, too. Great subject, textures, warm palette.

juliefordoliver.blogspot.com said...

Not only is this a fun answer to Tangerine Tango challenge it is really well done too.

Dee Doyle said...

Thank you uall for your positive feedback. You may eventually see a different iteration of this,as I am still unsure about the background. I have learned that when there is still a tension you get when you look at your own work, it is still begging something from the artist. Actually, the first iteration made me smile more than this one. I may put that on the blog [photo], just because I have time and am snowbound and stir crazy!

Thanks again for beeing so kind. I LOVE the dancers, and love painting dancers of any kind, but the background still jars me.

Leada Wood said...

Love the rhythm of this painting! It's such fun painting on lack isn't it? Have you ever tried painting on tar paper? It is really great but you must treat it first with black latex front and back and then proceed. Makes some interesting paintings!