Retenue — Three Self Portraits
I gave up painting when I moved to Paris, about 9 years ago, because my apartment is tiny and renting a studio is completely out of the question. Why not simply paint on small canvases then? Because a big part of the pleasure I get from the painting process is being able to do large gestures, and to work standing, not sitting with my neck crooked over a desk. I imagined working on a smaller scale would only frustrate me, so I just didn’t bother trying.
That is, until I had some leftover plywood from a furniture refurbishing project. The surface is rougher than a canvas’s, which makes it more interesting to work on.
One of the tricky things about making art is knowing when to stop. I can often feel when I’m on the verge of ruining a piece by overworking it. Whether or not I listen to that gut feeling is another story. Paint is more forgiving than ink, as you can sometimes correct the result of a bad brushstroke with another, but you also run the risk of building up anger with every new layer.
This series of self-portraits is exactly about that: having the power to decide when a piece is finished, even if it’s after 15 seconds and a few brushstrokes.
Acrylic on plywood, 23 x 17 cm each. You can see larger versions here.
In Other News, Horses Are Hard To Draw
I knew this in theory, but hadn’t put it to the test in a while.
Ah yes, their knees bend backwards, flamingo-style (editing note: apologies to all flamingos out there — a quick googling revealed those are actually their ankles.)
Attempt #2’s a little goofy…
and #3 is almost good, if only the proportions were correct!
Other Things I enjoyed in October
I went to a screening of Coppola’s Dracula accompanied by an orchestra and a choir at the Philharmonie. It was incredible. (In case you’ve not seen it: Keanu Reeves has the charisma of a hard-boiled egg, but apart from that, what a film, and what a score!)
One of my favourite libraries held an exhibition about artists’ books, showcasing different concepts and binding techniques. I particularly enjoyed Luiza Fontes’s Sei de Cor (Know by heart), in which she mixed collage and embroidery to link the lives of several generations of women in her family.
And that’s it for this month! Thanks for being here. If you think this newsletter would be of interest to somebody else, feel free to forward it to them.
Till next month, take care,
Cath
