Sweet Spots and Vibrations

Colors vibrate. Put two complimentary colors in proximity and you start a party. Every color in this image has it's compliment near by in some quantity. Can you find them?

We need pulse points within a painting if it is really going to work. That's why I am leaving in this accidental red. Cover it with your fingers and see the difference.

Set up vibrations. Don't fake it. Don't phone it in. Make us feel those chords you play. Strong to subtle. Cool to warm. A little and a lot. Pull us in, let us go, move us around the piece. Give us those sweet spots, those vibrations to make us feel the love.

My muse today? One of the most vibrating, sweet spot finding musical colorists of them all, Carlos Santana. Listen to the song.



Oh yeah. "Give me your heart, make it real, or else forget about it." Put yourself into it. That's our cue, Brush. Let's go play.

Build Rhythms

Those spots from yesterday. Can you find them? I'll keep this short so you can easily compare yesterday's images.

Here's my play box at the moment. Yes, it's mostly green. The biggest shapes, the major chords, must be put into place. Sneaking in are little hints of what is to come. This painting is built around a triad of colors: violets, browns and greens. You see that happening already.
Tomorrow we will talk of sweet spots and vibrations. Time for me to go play some more. Who's my muse today? I think Allen Toussaint... bring me some of that Southern magic...take me away from all the chatter...and let me play in the paint.



Oh yeah, feeling mellow already.

Watch This Spot

Why? Because this is where I am working today. This portion of the painting is a key access point. I need some up close and personal time with it. It isn't the only spot either.

There's this one.

And this one. So forgive me. Brush is calling. I'll show you what we did, tomorrow. I am going to use a little bit of the Doctor to help summon my muse. He can bring out the mischief in me. And I must go play.


Yep. Better already.

Organising Chaos

Broad strokes. First point, then line, now plane.

Don't get too small too soon.

We're mapping out values, and color chords.

Impact. Lights and darks.

It's early draping of the understructure. I am keeping glazes light. Cutting in the dark recesses. And making mid-tone mass. It's too early for detail. But the attitude, the spirit of the piece must be put in place. Some planes will pull you in. Some will let you go. Where some meet, yes, those will be pulse points. These planes will move you from spot to spot. Guide you through the piece. It's early. Just the first fitting of a gown. This is a busy piece. There will be detail. But first we must organize the whole. Get rid of white space. Set up the keys to play. Remember there will be music. Rhythms and a dance. Those must be given structure first. Then we can improvise. Play along the way.

86 Million Reasons A Passion Position Works

Let's not stop there. Let's toss on another 33 million as well. Huh? What is she talking about now? Bacon, Freud and The Fine Art of Dating. And Seth Godin's nifty little graph. Move over Emir of Qatar, the Russians are in town. And my jaw is on the floor. Recession? Niet. Passion? Da.

It's all about passion. See this little graph? I copied it from Seth because I liked that he has transferred a basic concept in art to business. You have to go to your zone. Passionate artists do passionate work. Lucian Freud produces 3, maybe 4 works of art per year, but those paintings will blow your socks off. He's 80 and is still putting it out there. Big time. His buddy Francis Bacon. Dead. But before he ditched this mortal coil, yep, passionate player. Along comes the passion between Roman and Dasha. Bacon and Freud are now the top record breaking artists at auction on the planet because of it. Freud knocked Jeff Koons right off that pedestal because nothing says I love you like 120million dollars of Post War superb contemporary art. Dasha wants to "open a dialogue with the Russians" with her own gallery in Moscow. I am assuming she feels very strongly about this.

Who wins? We all do. The ripple effect of this is globally beneficial. I'm thinking the Emir has a museum to fill. Roman wants Dasha's heart. Auctioners, collectors, and artists are reeling from the robust market here. The buzz is palpable. Just watch the next auctions. The competition's on. And in every studio an artist's heart has just been reassured. Full on passion in the studio. Block out the time. Balance all the demands. Yep it's organizing Monday. You can tell by my admin list in the notebook above. And here's a little task, artist or no.

Where's the point of all passions? Where must time be spent? There's no room for lukewarm, or maybe, or if. Find it. Find what makes you hum when you're at your best. I myself make maps before I set out. Set a compass. But the goal is time in the zone. It's not just about the money. It's about the quest. We're on the hunt, most of us for what makes it all worthwhile. Ask the Emir, Freud, or Roman and Dasha just what is it that they're after... No, ask yourself.

Lavender Lingerie

What? You thought the sky was blue?

I promised you the perfume of color.

Pulse points strategically scented.

Music to dance to.

And rhythms...relationships.
The promise of purple is transcendence. (Oh yes. Click on that link) [ Oh dear, post publish note: click on the minislip on that link...see on the left of the first picture. The sand and lavender. The direct link keeps going to the basque.] We're wearing lavender lingerie. Spritzing the scent of violet. A first layer carefully chosen because it is important to begin with the end in mind. Remember contemplation? The impact of the piece? Mystery, tension, resonance and return? We want flow and tension. We want boldness and subtlety. We want to sustain a pace, but offer pause as well. This requires setting up vibrations and color connotations. That shimmer that you see in the silk, the sand next to the lace? We want that. And we'll have it. You can bet on that. Oh yes, it is a must. You'll see that sand and silver beckoning, trees and sky in lucent radiance. Throughout the piece, these hints of sky will lie upon a log, a branch, a frond. You'll spy a peek or two. The scent will pull you in. It will energize at times, or convince you to linger, depending on where you find it and in what quantity. This painting must have allure, subtle persistent attraction. Offer a taste to the connoiseur, something, something of desire. When we're done, all clothed and fully dressed, you may not know exactly why, but your eyes will want that lavender silken sky.

It's About Relationships

Ohhh. I hear all the guys in the room groan. Well, yesterday I said we have a seduction piece to paint...what did you expect? Relax. I just gave you a zippy little number of Harry dancing in the streets. It was almost Carl Sagan...or Dave Matthews...or this very austere guy talking about the Bauhaus...ugh...Already feeling better, aren't you? You see, it's about points and lines and planes...and the chemistry between them.

Before I can get into this and smear it around...

I have to do this. Set up some sweet spots. Pulse points if you will. And I have to make sure you are going to find them. Oh yeah, now it's getting fun. Pulse points of focus. Lines of force and direction. Planes where we'll put the perfume of color. And there will be music. The next time you look at a room full of art, find the ones you can't resist. What drew you in? Underneath it all are points and lines and planes working their way with you. Make no mistake, it's intentional. It's a bare bones call and response. Intimate essentials embedded. Rhythms. Heart beats. A dance.
Yep. Relationships.