Monday, September 29, 2008

Observations

In January I "finished" a painting called Observations. At the time, I was drawn to the simplicity of the piece and the bits of hidden text showing through. I think I was experiencing a phase, where I was exploring the beauty of backgrounds. And in this case, I was focusing on the idea of observing the layers that are inherent in life. The fact that what we see on the surface does not tell the whole story. Even then, however, I was not happy with this piece. I knew that it was incomplete and that I would come back to it at some point in the future. Well, the future is now. This past month I looked at the painting with fresh eyes and have added more layers and a central foreground figure...the tree. At this point, I still see this as a work in progress that I will continue to develop. And I think this makes sense, since what we observe changes as we change over time. I will post the results sometime soon. Here is the before...



And here is the after, with detail shots...





I have also continued to work on a number of collaborative projects, including one with Roxanne at River Garden Studio. Here are some glimpses at my most recent page. You can click on the details to see even more details.




And...here is a peek at a piece I will be finishing any minute now. Expect a posting of the complete piece later this week.

13 comments:

Don Madden said...

NICE work! What is the size of Observations? I love the thick lush look of the surface. The crackle paint on the bottom piece -- Ranger? Or crackle medium + paint? Good colors.
Susan

Joanna Olson said...

You picked your subject well. The tree echoes
the brushwork and marks on your background and you still have the intrigue of the text. Lately
(as in the past year) I've really become attuned
to the beautiful silhouettes of bare tree branches so the
season is providing me with an incredible amount of inspiration as it unfolds. Must be why I like what you're doing so much....

Anonymous said...

Awesome, Seth..I love that you have time for yourself now that the Pulse is finished.. The added tree packs a big punch in your first piece and I love the blue onyour almost finished project! Can't wait to see more.

SUZAN BUCKNER said...

Happy that you are back to creating!! I love where the "Observations" painting is going--Beautiful!! The other pieces are fantastic!!

Have you journaled yet??**looking sternly at you?
heheheh.

Gillian McMurray said...

I was talking to someone this week about not seeing the layers in other people's lives. What a coincidence. Love the painting. The tree works so well with the colours. Reminds me of cold winter days.

lynne h said...

seth, i love the tree and it feels to me like it's waiting for something. i feel a sense of expectation when i look at it...

also love the sneak peek at your page for roxanne, AND that bottom pic of the painting you're working on now. yes, yes, yes!! love it! that texture, the design. the red!! oh yes, and the words. those words speak to me.

Chris said...

These are very nice! I love trees, and trees without leaves show so much promise, don't they? And as always, your textures are great. I think it would be very cool to be surrounded by these backgrounds/works.

Anonymous said...

Seth, thanks for the visit! It's funny but the piece you commented on is all about layers too. The layers of a woman's life. I really enjoyed the pulse but I am so glad to see your work again. Fabulous!

ArtPropelled said...

Exciting work Seth. Layers are always mysterious. I love how the red accents in the collaboration pieces make the work sing.

rivergardenstudio said...

Seth, your new piece, "I will be here waiting" looks like the sky, with all your blues, and the ocean. Just beautiful. I also love the tree with its bare branches, stretching upward. Thank you... Roxane

Unknown said...

Love it all Seth : ) Thanks for sharing it with us.

mcdc3s said...

Its amazing how we come back to something we set aside with a whole new vision. Love the progress.

Terry said...

Hi Seth - I love the changes to the first Observation piece, and seeing the progress of it increases the appreciation for it. It feels like the cover of a book I want to open...
The blue fragment is enticing, especially with it's words - waiting for whom? for what? when? another story to be told.