some plans.

thinking about creating some small paintings that don't require much time to get done. my usual paintings take about 2 weeks to be completed, and this of course influence in their prices. if I make smaller and quicker paintings, I can charge much less. my bigger pieces cost between $380 and $450, depending mostly on the time I spend in each one. since I'm just starting off in the market, I don't believe I can charge much more.

I started to experiment today, on watercolor paper. I'm not very sure yet about what I'm going to paint. not very complex themes though. maybe just faces, ornamental abstracts, some surrealism, who knows. I'm going to spend the week with my in-laws, and since when I'm there I don't need to worry about anything but taking care of my daughter, I may come back home with something new. the big panels will stay home waiting, I don't want to take the whole art paraphernalia with me for a trip. only the watercolor pad and box, 3 or 4 brushes and pencils, and books - got some new ones a few weeks ago and just had the chance to barely open them. and, of course, since we'll have free baby sitter, going to the movies!!! boy, I even forgot what a movie theater smells like. and God, I NEED to see Watchmen.

in progress: ignis aeris

ready for a bit more of my beloved The Waterman tryptich? here's the underpainting:





it's amazing how I get energized when working with warm colors. I love all tones of blue and purples, but working with reds and oranges really make my day. I love how their pigments mix well and how they pop out the board.





I really like the way the lion skin came out. I think the abstraction fit well. it made me think about creating another piece using a lion as a focus and the same horizontal abstracts.



planning another tryptich for a near future. not that huge, though. it's a lot of work. my pieces are sort of independent from each other, so i don't get bored working on the same elements all the time. I may do something more simple next time, on smaller panels.

second panel finally in progress

I must confess I am proud of this one. :)











Ignis Aeris is the right panel of The Waterman triptych. it represents the elements Fire and Water, or the yang ones. the left panel will be called Terrae Aquae, and it will represent the ying elements Earth and Water.

I didn't intend to use too much symbolism in the side panels, since they are supposed to "frame" the main one, which I decided to call Unio Mystica (this is the very own you've been watching for a while, with the naked Christ.) the four elements are the base of the physical universe, or microcosm, where the Divine Spirit manifests.

in Ignis Aeris, the bottom figure is the Magician. this arcane represents the number One, the power of creation. his nature is pretty much Air/Fire, since he pursues the gifts of the intellect (Air) and of the power of will (Fire) combined. I wanted to represent him wearing the Nemean lion skin, like Hercules. Hercules is the epitome of hero, that guy who has the power of will, creativity, braveness and passion (all Fire qualities), as well as mental skills (Air) in enough quantity to be succeeded in his endeavors.

other symbols I used are the butterflies (for Air) and the phoenix ( for Fire, represented by the middle figure in a bird mask). all the gestures evoke spirituality and connection to the higher planes.

it was funny to notice, when I finished the sketch, that the group had gained a sort of a Bacchanalia aura. I think that the god Bacchus has a strong fire connection, with all that wine and ecstasy, not mentioning that his cult was also pretty wild and sexually indulgent... more Fire, impossible.

work in progress: the waterman IV

have not progressed significantly on The Waterman, since I've been distracted by domestic issues and also by the making of my new website. the piece also came out with more details than I was expecting, and this is always very time-consuming. I've been enjoying working at it, although I tend to slow down when I take too long in a piece.




decided to change the little fishes at the bottom. I didn't like the former ones, which were more abstract.







I think I should start working in the other panels (did I say that's supposed to be a triptych?) in order to find more fuel to continue the job and also to give my eyes a little refreshment. when you keep working for too long in a piece your eyes tend to get a little tired; seems that your sight get a little "distorted" and you start to misjudge things. colors don't look right anymore, you feel that some details shouldn't be there, it's a total mess. nothing like changing your focus a bit.

in progress: The Waterman III