Painting live with an audience can be quite challenging. My focus on February 17, 2012 was to finish a painting that would satisfy not only me but also the audience. I accomplished both these goals. When I painted "Chameleon" for South Towne Orators (see previous post), I did not finish as I had too much interaction with the audience. At DF Dance Studio in Salt Lake City during Gallery Stroll, I had one hour in which to complete my painting; therefore, I asked the audience to hold questions and comments until the end. I could have talked more as I painted but I was "in the zone" and focused on a finished painting.
I first drew spontaneous marks on my 36x48 canvas with charcoal, and explained that as I added paint these would bleed and that they could be covered with paint. My purpose was to energize the canvas and to have something to look at other than a white-painted canvas. I then applied acrylic cobalt blue paint with my gloved hands. I used all the blues I had in addition to the cobalt: cerulean, light blue, ultramarine, phthalo, also dioxazine purple, red and white. Blue is my favorite color followed by yellow. I did not want to use yellow as combined with blue would create green which would dominate the painting. I also used a tempera blue. I use water and various tools to create textures and interest.
After taking comments and questions, as a finale I squeezed sweeping lines of white and blue from their tubes (one fan called this my signature)... I titled the painting "Tango," afterall we wer at DF Dance Studio... Watch for the video.
