Caught in a Web of Your Own Devising (mixed media) by Polly Castor
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I made these three big paintings (36″x36″) in a worksop in Vermont last weekend. Tomorrow I’ll share the notes from the class, but I thought I’d show you what I painted there first.
I think it is worth noting that I don’t really like these. I was merely following the exercises and this is where that took me. They seem filled with an angst that I don’t feel, and so don’t authentically represent my own voice.
You will not like everything you do as a working artist, and I think that’s important to acknowledge, and not only accept, but expect. If you are too busy timidly playing it safe, you won’t grow. Painting is a perfect place to be bold and risky. That attitude can pay off huge, or end up merely, eh.
If you love one of these, let me know and I can make it available to you at bargain prices. Otherwise, I expect these will get painted over, becoming substrate underpaintings for something that feels more like me.
If you’d like to see some abstract paintings I’ve done that I actually do like, check them out here and here.
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High in the Chinese Hills (acrylic) by Polly Castor
Soul of an Anemone (acrylic) by Polly Castor
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2 Comments
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Don’t you dare paint over these paintings. They incorporate some ambiguity and areas that are not as controlled as some of your other work. That gives them breath. I really like the use of colors and darks and lights. The brush work is strong, bold, not over worked. They don’t look predictable or like other works I’ve seen by anybody. The compositions are fresh. Sometimes we hate our break through paintings and don’t appreciate them for a few years.
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Wow. I respect your opinion! I’ll set them aside.
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