"Hard Light"

[Spectra7]

Thanks for all the kind remarks on East Fork. Here is a companion painting that gives some insight into the character on the bench.

<IMG SRC="http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/30-Mar-2001/HardLight_Full.jpg" border=0>


[This message has been edited by Spectra7 (edited March 30, 2001).]

[Pray]

I just love your work! How long does it take you to do one like this? Where does your inspiration come from?

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Pat

[Spectra7]

I usually work pretty fast once I get going on a painting, but often I will stop a certain point and put it away for a while and then come back. This one was pretty much go straight through to the end. I guess it took me 2 days to complete.

As for the inspiration, I was using a model for the the painting, "East Fork Hotel" and I got inspired by some of the other poses and that led to this painting. I wanted to make it suggestive and harsh in terms of color and light to indicate the awful feeling of waking from a night of bingeing and sleeping on a bench. The battered concrete wall as a symbol of the hard life and obstacles he may have faced. The suggestion of a bottle, but we really don't know waht it is. This is about appearances as much as it is about emotion. Waht to you prefer to see? I like digging into humanity and not only painting the pretty picture, but one that might get you feeling a little queasy looking at it.

Gene

[tammy]

I see that he is well defined against the wall. There is no hope of future in his face. You've captured his plight excellently.

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Don't worry, its gonna be all right....
Tammy's Home for Artists (http://tammy.artistnation.com)

[wendee]

well i think it is just wonderful...yes you can see the pain and the blankness in the face....just great...reminds me of my Ex husband..... http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Spectra7]

Wendee!

So sorry about your X. Actually this guy who modeled for this turned out to be a real nasty person and I think that helped inspire me.

Gene

[Pray]

Originally posted by Spectra7:

I wanted to make it suggestive and harsh in terms of color and light to indicate the awful feeling of waking from a night of bingeing and sleeping on a bench. The battered concrete wall as a symbol of the hard life and obstacles he may have faced. The suggestion of a bottle, but we really don't know waht it is. This is about appearances as much as it is about emotion. Waht to you prefer to see? I like digging into humanity and not only painting the pretty picture, but one that might get you feeling a little queasy looking at it.

Gene[/B]
I'm saying upfront that I absolutely love your work. With that in mind, I hope not to offend you by stating the biggest plus to me. While your subject is somewhat disconcerting and sad, I thoroughly enjoy staying "in" it and wondering and musing. I've seen work that attempts what you've accomplished that failed because is was soooo unpleasant to view that I quickly averted my eyes.

I especially appreciate your handling of light. I know that sounds so cliche so I'll explain. Your use of warmth for time of day and your very precise attention to light source and its affect. I.E. in Eastfork the way the over door light shadow breaks at the screened window and the light on the wood bench foot differs from that on the leather boot next to it. The overall hard edges are wonderful to me because the light and warmth plays against them to soften.

Well, I am going on here aren't I. But then something I appreciate as much as I do your work does that. Perhaps your own "softness" has shown thru in a "hard" subject. As I said, I consider that the very plus that keeps me looking.



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Pat

[paintfool]

Gene, this painting is mesmerizing in a very painful way. It is painful to view but in a way that kept me focused for quite some time. Well done! Thanks.
Cheryl

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paintfool