Moving on involves revisiting "We must"

In September I posted about 2 projects: one completed We must.... and one beginning 26 x 24. Time passed, travel happened, Christmas preparations happened, but the painting with a beginning did not happen.   

Try as I might to get the vibe for the new painting, conceiving and discarding loads of ideas, I could not push it forward. I don't necessarily know when a painting action is right, there is always risk that the idea or execution will fail, but I try to avoid the ones that I know are clearly not right. So nothing happened. Finally I imposed a picket fence on the beginning painting. Then nothing. 

In doing some shifting around for Christmas, I moved We Must.... When I walked past it in its new location I knew that what was bogging down where I was trying to go was too much happening in the one before: We must ..... was too full and busy. Something was lost because too much was there. My intention when I started the frame part was to just have enough to suggest or imply it, but it was fun to do and I didn't stop until it was all there. Finally I could see that it was overwhelming the can't get around it template. Everything needed more space to breath. Here, once again is We must.....    

And here is 26 x 24, becoming: 

We must..... (survive, remember)

We must......

42" x 32"

107cm x 82cm

oil on canvas





Template - Can't get around it.

"We must survive. We must remember." These are the words of a grieving friend. I added "This is important." These thoughts are written in the rocks with the letters overlapping, producing a granite effect (enduring, solid, forever).  

The purple circles are forget-me-nots.

The bird asked to be there.  

42 x 32 (5)

  Forget-me-nots

42 x 32 (3)

This came first:

We must survive.

We must remember.

This is important.

Then this happened. The basement sprang a leak. The less said the better.

42 x 32 (2)

42 x 32

 This next painting, known presently by its size 42" x 32" (106.5cm x 81.5cm), takes its compositional arrangement from the template 'can't get around it'. And, after several years of harbouring the idea seen and photographed in San Francisco, I have started with a white on black chalkboard-like look.  

Up-side down and with chalk lines.                  Right side up and with some 'drawing'.

                                                                        

 The ornate frame is to suggest that what is inside is important.