08.24
“Bargara Beach” – plein air finger painting
(click on images to enlarge)
Well, here it is. I think I called it “Bargara Beach” when I had painted it, in about 10 minutes (yes, I know it looks like it). It was a plein air work executed (?) at Bargara, near Bundaberg. This was a morning out with The Brag Trade art group in 2015. Finger painting, and I love it, despite my cynical jibes here. Can’t remember too well, but it was exhibited at some Brag Trade exhibition (I think). Maybe at The Moncrieff Centre, Bundaberg.
SAME PAINTING ROTATED – Now entitled, “Big Summer Heat” – exhibited earlier in 2016 at Childers Art Space (Charts).
But then, one day I saw it where it was stashed in a room at my unit in Bundaberg (I now live at the Sunshine Coast – Australia), and it was leaning vertically against the wall. Instead of a beach, I saw a gum tree, and a hot, blistering Aussie summer (bordering on bush fire status). So it became “Big Summer Heat” with no paint changes to it at all (acrylics).
I am always reluctant to paint over my past paintings. It is almost like killing off one’s own children (well not really, but, well, you know). But I keep reminding myself of what I think is Stephen King’s best book, called “Stephen King – On Writing.” A self-help book on how to write. One of the best books I have ever read, in fact. I used it for my PhD in Creative Writing about a decade ago. And in it he says don’t be afraid to “Kill off your darlings.” He was referring to fiction writing, obviously. In other words, make your writing lean and punchy, and don’t hang onto anything extraneous or super-clever, even if you think it is the best thing you have written. Your novel will be the better for it. Kill it off.
My Darling, waiting for its palimpsest-ish makeover. Saves paint, saves canvas, and saves storage space. So I keep telling myself.
But the idea transfers well to visual art too. So this week I did just that, and killed off this little darling. It was like “value adding” when I started. And by tilting it back to horizontal, I realised I didn’t even have to totally go over it with undercoat (Gesso). Very economical and eco-friendly I tell myself, using the existing paint and adding to it. Value adding, I suppose. Still more to do, but here’s a start. I won’t cry too much, to have lost the original, since I have these ok photos of it. All Things Must Pass. And besides, I like the idea of palimpsest for some odd reason.
Totally uncontrived photo of the process about to begin. Good to have a nice art space for doing my painting these days, instead of painting in my little bathroom in the previous abode at Bundaberg.
A Good Start and more palimpsesting to do. Obviously I love that word, palimpsest.