Wells, 8.13.2001(#7)
Wells, 8.14.2001(#8)
Wells, 8.14.2001(#9)
Wells, 8.15.2001(#10)
After painting six consecutive scenes, I had to change the pace and mood in order to escape fatigue of senses. These one hundred scenes were selected from more than five hundred snaps I took over the course of three days, so they encompass all the different light, from morning to dusk.
The last hour of the day light is particularly dramatic in this landscape, with the setting sun radiating intense orange glow against the rolling hills which in turn cast dark shadow that slithers like a giant serpent as I pass by in the car. Driving through this region is a fantastic experience any time of the day, but it is at dusk that this reaches a divine realm. I never felt more precious about the sliver of light disappearing into the horizon and the following otherworldly glow slowly turning gray then black, as if the sun was setting for one last time.
And to translate this into 5" x 8" two dimensional surfaces using pulverized earth and heavy metals?
I was regretting that I ever took on this challenge when I made #7. #8 did not help me either, but I had enough time for another try that day so I came up with #9. Some how, in some small ways, this was an improvement over the first two. Perhaps I let go of the overwhelming pressure of recreating the original impact. I started to see my painting more as an abstract picture rather than a mirror of the visual world. I paid more attention to the overall harmony of this humble 5x8 universe which also carried through to #10. The edges are softened, the shadows reflect more light, and skies are more sensitively gradated.
But like the setting sun, satisfaction in painting is so elusive. Who knows what tomorrow will bring...
1:11:28 AM 
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