Filed under: art, fragments, Paintings -Inspiration | Tags: abstract painting, florence, red, susan canavarro
This is my latest painting effort after a near two-year hiatus ( normally known as painter’s block) from painting. It is a 36″ square, 1 and .25″ deep stretcher bar. Acrylic on canvas.
The idea derived from a memoir fragment I wrote called Frozen Like a Block of Blood-ice. It only started with that thought and quickly took off on its own and turned into a geometric abstract. You’ll notice the squares/blocks are not precise squares, nor are the smaller ones centered in the larger squares. I don’t live in a precise world – physically or mentally! The beginning of my dream-story is handwritten in the wide wine-red border, but it is not easily read. The text is more texture than story although the story is relevant. I did not intend for people to spend time reading the painting. One couldn’t read my handwriting, anyway. Sometimes even I can’t read it! The paint itself provides areas of raised surface texture as well as areas of smooth layers of transparent washes of reds and greens.
One thing I didn’t remember is that red is a middle value color. On the grayscale red, in its various ranges of colors, will be of the middle to dark gray. In color, visually our eyes see light reds and dark reds, but in the grayscale, it is all mid to dark gray. I proved this to be true when I changed the image to grayscale on my computer.
Feedback is welcome if you feel like hurting my feelings! LOL
© 2012 All Rights Reserved. Susan Canavarro.
6 Comments
Susan…Welcome back! So glad to see that you are painting again. I love it, painters block and what do you paint as your first painting when you return…blocks! Knowing your wonderful sense of humor there was a little chuckle you were making to yourself as the painting emerged.
Can’t wait to see it in person sometime.
Love the colors. Red is not only hard to see by the naked eye, it is very hard to photograph too. Light plays dirty little tricks w/red and the camera.
Comment by jr wagenschutz August 7, 2012 @ 2:56 PMjrw
ps…these comments have always made me leave my email address
Wow! Blocks indeed! In my thinking and painting process for this painting I was not aware that there was a correlation between painting images of blocks and my personal stumbling two-year painting block. It just happened. Must have been one of those divine synchronistic experiences my father always liked to be open too. Very perceptive and insightful of you, jacque. Thank you so much.
Comment by Susan Canavarro August 7, 2012 @ 3:22 PMOkay, I’m not sure why this comment app is asking us to type in email addresses in order to make comments. Can’t get it figured out. I thought most of you who have followed my blog from the beginning had already given your email addresses. If the window opens and asks for your email after you’ve clicked on make a comment, then type in your email and name with the prompt, and click on the box Notify…to get email notification, it should work again. Your comments should show once I approve of them and you should get an email notification whenever anyone makes a comment or whenever I upload a Blog Post.
Comment by Susan Canavarro August 7, 2012 @ 12:26 PMI could not find any answers to this problem, except to do what I described or reregister all over again. I think wordpress makes sweeping changes and does not inform us of the changes.
just working on getting this thing to work.
Comment by Susan Canavarro August 7, 2012 @ 12:23 PMThis is pretty darn cool, Susan. The depth attracts me and I love how it feels like it’s floating and yet so grounded. What a way to start over with a braveness of red.
Welcome back!
My lack of interest to pick up brush last a year. So releasing when I forgave myself and returned to art itself.
Comment by Pamela August 7, 2012 @ 7:45 AMThanks for your encouragement, Pamela. Yes, it is a little like forgiving one’s self, but more like overcoming the fear of failure, facing the doubt and forging thru a piece whether or not it will be a success in the end. Letting go of the need for it to be successful. Letting go of the starting point or idea and letting the painting take you for a ride, taking turns around the corners, making lane changes to see where it goes until you find something you can live with.
Comment by Susan Canavarro August 7, 2012 @ 8:45 AM