Urchin
2021. Acrylic on canvas. 14 x 14 in.
This work developed from a simple arch-like figure in raw umber and went through quite a bit to arrive in the final state you see here. I began it similarly to Pause Point – prepping the canvas with a darker value undercoat then overpainting with white to leave a just-off-white surface slightly varied in temperature and value but not heavily textured. The initial improvised arch figure was interesting but…not that interesting. I started building with both the raw umber and the black and, to my surprise, felt pulled to bring in the violet. I knocked certain parts back with white, but left faint shadows of some of what had already transpired.
I was quite happy with it in the end, but it wasn’t until the very end that I felt that way. Most of the time it felt pretty awkward. It helped when the title occurred to me, well into the process. I then better understood the direction I was going. Sometimes that’s just how it goes.
Pingback: You’re Only As Good As Your Last Picture | Magicgroove: In the Studio