NEW 'on my EASEL' PAINTING TALKED ABOUT

Time for a new 'on my EASEL' painting to be discussed on my blog. This is where I talk about what went into creating a painting.  Basically, it is about how and why I created this featured painting..

'SEARCHING FOR MEANING'   oil on canvas  18x24   (c) Loren Fidalgo 2010 

The painting I am writing about is titled, 'SEARCHING FOR MEANING'.  It is 18x24 and oil on canvas. I really enjoyed creating this piece and I liked the opportunity to dig deep into what goes into the struggle when one is looking for purpose in their life'.  I believe that the seeking and searching may be something that most of us go through some time in our lives. Whether it be addiction to drugs, alcohol, mental illness, emotional loss of a loved one, divorce or trauma or just simple 'existential questioning'.  We may ask ourselves questions... we may tell ourselves what seems to be lies that "we can handle it." With this painting, I am asking, "How do we find the reason? How do we find joy in life, when things are not going our way or we are in pain? How do we find hope?" 

When I began this painting, I had a strong image in my mind about what I wanted to express.  I had the concept in my thoughts about a woman and her struggle to find the reasons for living and why she is here. I wanted to express how it is usually the little things in life that are often missed when one is depressed and feeling like there is no hope. Elements like the flower and butterfly were thought of to  help portray my concept.  I wanted to depict this idea by playing off of a simple phrase that is often said to someone to let them know how they are not valuing the simple things in life.  'Take time to smell the flowers'.  Possibly, people might think that one is not grateful for the little things and they need to take the time to look and see what is right in front of them? For this woman, to smell the flowers is her symbolic way to express her desire to feel what she is missing, the 'joy of life'. She is looking, seeking, hoping and longing. 

 I painted this in a subtle cubist like style and use thick, textured paint. The cubist style helped me to convey the ambivalence that this woman is having in her life.  The woman's eyes are disjointed and each one is looking back out at 'YOU'. This is her way of saying, "I see you, I'm looking at you looking at me and I see that you are wondering what is wrong with me and you are wondering, "why I am 'searching for meaning?" I decided to depict her nude so she is in her most vulnerable and fragile state. The colors I chose are purples, greens, oranges, yellows and reds.  I like the way the colors interact with each other, such as the oranges and greens and purples and yellows.  I used a palette knife to sculpt this entire painting. I stroked the knife on the canvas, moving it in many directions as I carved into the paint. You can see this in the swirls of her hair and the texture in her body.

 In closing about this painting,, the question is inevitably asked, "Does this woman find her meaning?  Well, that is for you to decide.  What do you think?

 I hope you enjoyed the in-depth look into this piece?  If you would like to, please leave a comment or question.  Thanks for reading this post and stay tuned in for the next one.

Cheers,

Loren

PAINTING 'WEEPING' SERIES CREATING JOY AND BLISS

Hey guys... I wanted to fill you in on my progress and the joy painting the 'WEEPING' series.

I am so excited about this group of paintings and I can't wait to show them to you.  I am finding it interesting creating a series of paintings especially because they are abstract.  For me, with this series, my paintings are about emotion, form and color.  Lot's of color.  Each painting has been having a different impact on me and each one has pulled up different feelings. I have been experiencing' joy and bliss' and 'sadness and melancholy'.  I guess I could say I am totally 'in love' with the entire series and I am enjoying the whole process creating these paintings. From exhilaration to anxiety, I am finding my 'groove' and I think I am 'getting it' for a change!

 

Stay tuned in...because I am more than half the way done with the series and I can't wait to show them to you.

Cheers,
Loren

HAPPY VALENTINE"S DAY TO MY SWEETIE!

It's Valentine's Day and I want to talk about my sweetie... I can't believe that it has been 29 years ago today, Valentine's Day that Paul and I met. We actually met at a Valentine's Day party that my dear friend Valerie McNabb and I had in our apartment when we were attending Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. Paul came early with a bunch of friends that Val and I knew and he saw me running from one bathroom to another with my robe on while I was screaming with embarrassment. Paul decided then and there that he liked my spirit and kookiness and he had to meet me. I on the other hand became smitten with him when we were introduced and Paul reached out and touched my hand. Swoon...I was 'his'...
I love you, Honey!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO EVERYONE!!
Cheers,
Lorenhttps://www.facebook.com/valerie.mcnabb

NEW 'on my EASEL' PAINTING LOOKED AT UP CLOSE

Hey guys... it's about time for a new 'on my EASEL' painting to be 'looked at up close'. This is where I talk about a specific painting and the thought process I went through to create it.

I am excited to write about this painting because it is an earlier conceptual/fantasy work that I did and it is interesting in texture and subject matter. Let's get to it...

'OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND'    18x24   oil on canvas  by (c) LOREN FIDALGO 2011

The painting I have chosen is titled, 'OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND'.  It is 18x24 oil on canvas.

When I began this painting, I had my concept in mind and I knew I wanted to create a image of a girl pulling her eyes out of her head. "Why" you might ask?  I don't know exactly, but I had this image in my mind for weeks and I had to get it on to the canvas. I knew what I wanted to express however, I didn't know how I was going to do it, so I started by painting the background in a flat bright color of green and yellow.  I drew the outline of the figure and I painted out the girl's face with a palette knife in a textured and layered style.  I liked the contrast between flat blended color and the highs and lows in the texture.  As I was painting her face, the rest of the painting was coming together in my mind and I decided I wanted to create character's faces with vacant eyes missing from her bright red cheeks.  As I painted up to the top of her head, I began to imagine more and more faces with hollow eyes that would be coming out of her ' head', her 'mind' and her 'subconscious'.

I was thinking about how the young girl seemed to look so 'cartoonish' in nature, somewhat surreal/fantasy like. I liked the juxtaposition of this and the reality of the subject matter.  Her face shows her smiling and yet at the same time, she is crying only able to reveal one single tear. Her eyes, as well as the other characters eyes are as if they are on a strand of string which is being pulled from the heads and out of her mouth. One eye after another, then another, are coming out . 
This illustrates the title that she is 'out of sight', i.e.' she and they have lost their eyes and 'out of mind' because she has lost her mind to the characters residing in her head.  All the missing eyes are windows to the soul to this captivating girl and those who live 'upstairs' with her.

The technique of the textured effect was painted in layers beginning with the dark colors first and solely building up to the lightest and brightest areas on top.  I used a palette knife to lift the paint off the palette and lay it down onto the canvas.  I 'pushed and pulled' the paint around the canvas to the desired areas and I carved and sculpted right into the layers of paint below.  This could look random, however, it took some patience and time for the layers of paint to dry to allow for the additional layers of paint to be put on top. The end result is this combination of 'a little bit of paint and a lot of paint' all in one painting.

Well, this is a wrap up for this ' 'on my EASEL' painting.  I hope you enjoyed the new subject matter and the different technique from my other works?  If you have an interpretation of this painting that is different from my own, please by all means, share.  I would love to hear what others think about this piece.  I will be posting another piece with a similar technique some time in the future.

Thanks for checking in to reading about this piece and please feel free to leave a comment if you would like to.  It is greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Loren   

NEW ABSTRACT PAINTING SERIES 'WEEPING' COMING SOON

Hey guys... new abstract paintings are on their way to a series called 'WEEPING'.  I can only reveal a littler bit about them until they are completed.  I want to show them all together, as they should be seen together.

'WEEPING #1' 24x30  acrylic on canvas  2014 by Loren Fidalgo
small section from larger painting

My style is evolving and really changing from series to series and medium to medium.  This new series 'WEEPING' is created solely with a palette knife and painted in acrylic paint. Most pieces are on gallery wrapped canvas.  Lately, I am hooked on acrylic paint and loving how it dries so quickly. I am able to get lots of texture with the acrylic paint and unlike oils, I am able to work fast and furiously.  This way, I can get my emotion out onto the canvas in a short time.  This is not saying that I dislike oils, by no means is this the case.  I love oils, as well.  I love the look and feel of oils and how they blend together and move on the canvas, however right now, I am in love with these acrylic paintings I am working on.  I think I will be switching back and forth from oils to acrylics and back to oils in the future.

"WEEPING #2' 24x30  acrylic on canvas  2014

by (c) Loren Fidalgo
small section of larger painting

I have a lot of ideas for the new series that will come after the 'WEEPING' series and I am so excited for what the future holds for my work.  My studio is almost together (the one I turned from a porch) and I am so eager to get in there and create these new paintings.  Currently, I am still painting in the dining room/studio and it's not very inspiring, so I can't wait to get in my new studio  I would like to say to this new studio,...  "porch/ studio, I am looking forward to working in you and all that you have to offer for me.  I am anticipating all that will be created in your environment that is conducive for creating. I am so thrilled to have this new environment for me to rediscover myself both personally and creatively.  I am all in"!

Check back for the reveal of the 'WEEPING' series on this blog and for sale in my ETSY shop.  Please feel free to leave a comment or question if you would like to.  I  love hearing from my readers.

Cheers,

Loren