the accidental artist: Squall

Friday, November 20, 2009

Squall

Squall
Oil on stretched canvas, 36x48, $800.

Since I started painting, people have asked me to make large paintings. I've made a couple, but have not felt comfortable working large until recently.

In the past month, I've been working on a number of large pieces, and this is one of them. I have to say that this piece has a power and a glory that the same painting, smaller, would not have had.

It's hard to work on these, though. Hard to get far enough from them to see them. Hard to know how thin a thin stroke should be, and how wide a wide stroke. Also, I go through a scary amount of paint!

I'm about to start some large animal paintings (some large paintings of small animals, that is, not large-animal paintings) for my February show in Groton. I can't wait to see what a cat's head looks like, 20 times life size.

Thanks for reading!

6 comments:

Patrice said...: I really like this!!

As one who prefers to paint large, the only drawback I see is the current economy and the price of paints and supplies!

But every chance I get, I go large. They may not sell as quickly, but I get immense satisfaction having done them.; November 20, 2009 at 9:31 PM
Art with Liz said...: This is an incredible seascape Carrie! and I love your Georgia landscape - how lucky you are to have access to paintings by artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe; November 21, 2009 at 1:02 AM
carrie jacobson said...: Thanks for the nice note, Liz. I am so glad you like the painting. I really love it - the photo doesn't do it complete justice. The color of the sky is most like the color of green sea glass, washed and soft and semi-opaque... I am indeed lucky to have access. NYC is two and a half hours away. Boston is the same, in the other direction. I rarely go to either city, but when I want to, I can. I saw an amazing Edward Hopper exhibit last year at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The East Coast has its downsides (expensive, crowded), but there's plenty of upside, too.; November 21, 2009 at 7:30 AM
carrie jacobson said...: Thank you, Patrice - I'm so glad you like the painting. And yes, I used a LOT of paint - and the canvas was pricey, too - but the satisfaction is as large as the painting. I want to go bigger!; November 21, 2009 at 7:41 AM
Jill said...: I love this one. I love painting big -- full body painting. It's like exercise.; November 23, 2009 at 10:56 AM
carrie jacobson said...: Thanks, Jill - And I'd say, not only is it LIKE exercise, it IS exercise. I was sore when I finished!; November 24, 2009 at 7:27 AM