As November got under way, I noted how swimmingly things have gone with "The Zodiac Cafe." We were way ahead of schedule by the Zodiacal Calendar, which runs mid-March to mid-march, Aries through Pisces. So I decided to take my time with Pisces and do a few studies using different start-up techniques suggested by several different artist-teachers.
First, here's Manly P. Hall's description of the characteristics of the Pisces native:
"Head broad, complexion pale; eyes light; neck short; hair dark; lips full or well-shaped; body heavy; shoulders stooped; walk unsteady; rather unhealthy appearance."
Think "fish" -- Pisces' symbol -- and this makes a kind of sense. But just as I omitted "defective teeth" from my Aquarius portrait, there was no way I was going to aim for "rather unhealthy appearance." The description reminded me somewhat of two real people -- the sweet-natured anatomy instructor in my on-line art course and the sweet-natured guy across the street who mows my strip of front lawn in the summer. My previous quick study of the neighbour guy is shown beside a screen shot of the anatomy guy.
Determined to take time experimenting, I decided I'd begin my Pisces studies with the grisaille technique -- a time-honoured Shades of Grey approach that many contemporary realist oil painters use as their first layer. Here's my Experiment #1, which had accumulated two greys by the time I shot the photo.
Despite much effort to bring the study to a kind of completion, it wasn't very satisfactory. So, onward to a different artist who starts his grisaille with an absolute black/white delineation down the centre of the face.
Again, I took this to grey completion -- but neither of the finalists qualified for Catch of the Day.
Okay, it was time to summon the spirit of Mary Beth McKenzie, my revered teacher from the first time I read and then acquired her 1987 book, "A Painterly Approach." She begins with a careful linear underpinning, and those bones are always evident in her finished painting
Here's an early stage of my "Pisces."
And this shows how I moved along adding colour.
Verdict: BOR-ing. But there was a funny thing about this -- the face had begun to resemble Christophe, another sweet-faced guy, one of the session managers at the life drawing studio who took such pleasure in applauding the good stuff in each person's efforts.
I hemmed and hawed. With this painting, I'd be at the end of the Zodiac portraits, and this was not much of a finale. As I considered next steps I thought, "Oh, I so miss something with PATTERN." A lightbulb moment! Christophe wears glasses -- so why not plunk some on his nose, jazz up his shirt, and let him sit against a crazy wallpaper -- with the whole representing a fishy environment? Quick -- to the drawing board to turn out some templates.
And here he is -- at least he's not grey and boring. ("The Zodiac Cafe - Pisces" copyright 2020)
I guess I learned a fair bit in this School of Fishes...even with the ones that got away. Maybe the biggest lesson was remembering a quote I read long ago:
"Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast. In the pool where you least expect it, there will be fish"This counsel from Ovid came my way decades ago, before my lifelong friend AH rolled up her sleeves to master Latin and eventually ancient Greek. Obviously, it's about chance (hey! that makes me think of a Schipperke pup I know). But it's also about constantly doing the hard work to prepare yourself to be ready for chance when it comes.
And two of my "catches" gave me mega-goosebumps:-- In searching for links, I came across Irish Music to accompany "The Tale of the Fisherman." You **MUST** turn your volume to half-strength, click on the link, click on "Show more," and scroll down just a bit to read the fisherman's tale.
As if that weren't enough in the goosebumps department, I learned...just by chance...that Mary Beth McKenzie, who teaches at NYC's revered Art Students' League, is offering on-line classes. Better get my nets mended and my hooks baited!
