I've Been Feeling a Bit Blue

That is probably due to the fact that my hands are speckled and splattered in a nice shade of cerulean blue Now you know that saying about a woman's prerogative.  In this case, rather than just changing my mind, I think it is more that I have discovered over the past year where I was wanting to go with what has turned into a series of paintings.  A series that I believe is helping define me as an artist.   With these first two pieces that I did I really had no idea how this was going to evolve and grow into what is currently 6 large 24 x 36 inch pieces and a number of smaller pieces.    All featuring the fence post with blue morning glories climbing on it.  

I have no idea where this theme is going to take me but I do know that painting them makes me smile.  That is also the common reaction I am told often by those that view the pieces.  I just tell them that is exactly what I want to hear.  After all, there isn't nearly enough smiling going on in the world these days.  

I have a solo show coming up and all my work in this series has to be delivered next week.  These first two pieces have started to really bother me because I feel that I have improved my skill and I want them to match the rest of the series.  The bright green background has really began to bother me.  At the time I painted them it looked good to me but now it separates them from the rest of the work and I really need them to be part of the series.

Sometimes it is actually easier to start all over than to make such massive corrections to a painting.  The task isn't for the faint of heart because it isn't no easy feat to change to color of the background while leaving the mailbox or the fence post untouched.  Believe me when I say that I used a large quantity of cerulean blue to cover all that green but now that I am done, I would say it was it so worth it.  The before and after pics below tell the real story.

Before

 This piece I call "Life at the Fence Post".  This was the beginning of what has not turned into a series.  At the time I painted I was trying to paint loose and colorful.  I choose a green background because it represented to me the stark contrast between being raised in the Missouri Ozarks and where I now live in the deserts of Southern Nevada.  Green is a color that I greatly miss and I guess I was trying to over compensate here.


In my redo of this piece I repainted about 1/2 of the canvas covering the background in blue. For some reason that I'm not completely sure of, I decided to reduce the number of bluebirds and double the mouse population.  In the end, I'm pleased at the changes and think that the piece is a bit more interesting than it was before the changes.

After

Before

The second piece I painted in what is now my Down Country Roads series is called "Lunch Under the Mailbox".  This piece was also one that I really liked but grew tired of the green background.  I took the same approach and repainted about 1/2 of the canvas, getting rid of the green background and making it solid blue.  Other than just some brightening of the colors, the composition on this one remained pretty consistent.

The picture we took here I fear doesn't really due the piece justice.  It was the perfect overcast day outside but I think we waited just a little too long and we were starting to loose our light.  For the blog purpose I suppose they are sufficient for you to get the before and after effect.

After

If you would like to see more of my work, then feel free to check out my website at JulieTownsendStudio.com