Another self portrait and a painting by Koskinas
Acrylic on paper approx 12" x 10"
Acrylic on canvas - Portrait 22, 2007, James Koskinas
I was a bit angry about something yesterday so I came up to the attic brandishing a piece of charcoal and rapidly set about a very black, mutinous self portrait. Domestic duties called me away but later I went back to it and thought, ok, wonderwhat happens if I start putting paint on that. I have for a long time been quite frustrated with the sometime "apathy" of acrylics especially when mixing greys, browns, neutrals. Anyway I cracked on with it. Then last night I re-discovered James Koskinas' work. Wooh!! I like it. So with one of his portraits on the computer screen I set to re-working, re-working my own self portrait. Eventually (the stage you see it now) I concluded it was much better than last night's effort but I was in for a surprise. Koskinas had not used oils as I had thought but had also used acrylics. So my lack of satisfaction with the medium is more to do with how I use it rather than its inherent qualities or lack of them.
A note on the Koskinas painting: Yes, I can see it is of a rather beautiful young woman and mine is of an old embittered hag but it was the use of colour and paint I was worried about - can't help the inspiration so try to look past that, guys. By the way just discovered Koskinas is only 3 years younger than me ! Ha!
posted by Sheila Vaughan at 12:20 PM
20 Comments:
I see more strength and presence in the older woman's portrait (your piece). Powerful and lovely.
Gee whiz Cindy, that's nice of you to say so! You made my day!
Cant say if I'll make your day Sheila, but this SP is not only honest and good but a helluva lot better than anything I have done recently and not brave enough to show!
Not only do I like James Koskinas' work but I think his partners paintings, Julie Schumer's figurative and abstract paintings are what I would love to reach.
Striving onwards and upwards!
DAVID
This is great, Sheila! So strong!
Well you made my evening David, put it that way and thanks for the reference to Julie Schumer. I didn't know of her. Just looked her up. Yes, pretty scrumptious but still his work draws me in more.
Thank you Liza - much appreciated!
Sheila, I love the self portrait after Koskinas. You've inspired me to try one of my own. Your blog is fantastic!
Thanks Jami - self portraits are always a good 'fall back' position to practise painting from life. Glad to have been an inspiration.
my first impression was, she's doing what i do when i want to say something and don't know how to so i put it in the paint... then i read your post and laughed and then went back and thought, yep,she's done what i do when i don't know how to put it in words... am i repeating myself;)it is a 'cold/harsh' interpretation of yourself but personally i empathise with it and love the paint handling.
Rahina, your post made me laugh too. I didn't realise so much of myself was coming through. Is it cold and harsh? I am not exactly Brittany Spears, LOL. Anyway, glad you empathised with it.
One of my favorite painters who uses acrylics, is Serge Hollerbach.
Instead of using white from tubed paints, the white he prefers is acrylic gesso, out of the jar. He says dipping into the gesso, even if he has color on the brush, does not contaminate the gesso in the jar.
Check out his work if you have time.
I love what you do with acrylics, and your mysterious paintings that result.
I agree with Cindy and don't think you've portrayed a hag, but a brave, strong woman. Why must an older woman be a hag? I dislike that convention. Super painting and post. Breathtaking.
XOBarbara
just a personal interpretation based only on my own experience and what i do to my self-portraits sometimes trying to show myself 'me' in the cold harsh light of day... almost like trying to get beyond the surface and the self:)
William, thanks for your kind observations and for putting me in touch with Serge Hollerbach. Is there no end to these genius's of paint?
Barbara, oh 'eck as we say in the north, I think I owe myself an apology.. you are not the only one to be a bit offended that I called myself a hag. I was a bit tongue in cheek about it but it's kind of nice to have the reverse confirmation!! Thanks for you kind words!
Rahina,yes I know exactly what you mean but I honestly just painted what I saw and I think my inner eye was working as much as my outer one was, LOL. I felt mad inside so it came out mad! I have never felt the urge anyway to portray myself in a "pretty" way - but some folks are nice lookin' so what can they do but paint what they see?
What a strong self portrait - shows emotions. And I don't see a hag - a beautiful, creative woman. And thankyou for introducing me to Koskinas.
Thanks Bridget. I have just enjoyed looking at your wonderful landscapes of Scotland and France. Ok, I think I am learning my lesson of not to insult myself in public, LOL. Thanks for the kind words.
Fearless work Sheila, but a hag? Not ;)
Mary thanks - all hag references deleted from my dictionary,LOL
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