A stab at in pastel of a Joan Mitchell painting. This was really difficult as her marks are so gestural, intuitive and free. I might have been more successful if I had used paint. The freedom of marks are so important almost like calligraphy, then the history of layering paint over on top again and again, intense reworking and reworking, then editing over it all ‘with white. It made me really look and I may have another go with oils. I wonder how long it took her?
A stab at in pastel of a Joan Mitchell painting. This was really difficult as her marks are so gestural, intuitive and free. I might have been more successful if I had used paint. The freedom of marks are so important almost like calligraphy, then the history of layering paint over on top again and again, intense reworking and reworking, then editing over it all ‘with white. It made me really look and I may have another go with oils. I wonder how long it took her?
Louise Balaam - Monthly Landscape Painting
Thank you for your encouragement. Much appreciated!
This is such a great study Caroline, I can see you’ve really concentrated on the quality of the marks. As you say this kind of exercise is so good for giving you a renewed appreciation of the way the original marks were put down. Intense working and reworking exactly as you say. My understanding is that Joan Mitchell would make a mark, then walk back to see the total effect, before making another mark – quite different from what I would have thought in fact.