Unfolding Plans vs. Preparation

Here is an example of what happens when I don't thorougly plan a painting ahead of time.
     I loved the duo toned shadow under my own legs in a photo, and wanted to paint it. I wanted the legs to be substantial. I wondered what background might add to this and thought of a colloseum, you know something of visual weight.

I was bothered by the empty space on the lower left, and started wondering what, besides square pavers might fit into a square. I asked several people and got great input even though they weren't told what the squares were for. hehe.! I had to try the sink idea!

It was ok, I guess, but it put me in mind of bathing. I showed them the painting, and asked what they thought, and someone asked me it if went with my, "Theme."

"Theme." I quoted, "That would be a good thing to have!" I had no idea where I was going. I just wanted a painting of the shadow of the legs. I covered the sink and stared hoping something would mentally appear in that space. 

Someone suggested a water drain. I thought it appropriate. Surely this would be a good thing to have among pavers.....but it didn't work in my painting...

Sighs....I was "Back to Square One.".....

no..I covered this as well.

"Rats!" I thought. "I wish I'd had a theme to begin with!"......

There was my answer.

"Colluseum Rat"
16x20
Acrylic on Canvas

I figure, if I know where I'm going, enjoy the journey, but if I don't know where I'm going, enjoy the journey. hehe

tina jones

Longing and Satisfaction

   I sit at this canvas for most the hours of my life, and I miss little of the world outside. Occasionally, I break to visit a store or check a mailing. News is everywhere, and to these eyes nothing much has changed, save that I'm more peaceful with it all. Living and seeing as I have, so many things work out, not much bothers me. It's been many years since I've seen any problem that I couldn't reference an old experience to. Even then, if what worked out before did, then so would this.
  There's something about these brushes, or the act of moving paint. Without words, there are answers in the mere act of taking this action, or any. Someone once told me, "Those canvases can't love you!" in anger. Neither could they, it turns out, but being loved has never been a goal I found worth seeking. It works better to simply love. That I can do often with a brush, but in many other ways as well. My life is full of love.
  I am content with each moment with the gift of yearning for the next. I've heard it called, "Divine Dissatisfaction," that state of gratitude where I know I can be more, so I love. I paint. I strive without struggle to the next level of contentment.
tina jones

"In Blue"
8x8"
Oil on Canvas

L'Etoile De La Matin

    Like all of us, I have layers. What is at first seen is me, and what is seen after time and upclose is me too. Glances at people reveal instant impressions, yet when savored.....looked at through eyes who have experienced the person, what is revealed can often be the beauty of time. Scars, wrinkles, marks of life show life lived, sometimes hard and sometimes peacefully.
   I hope today I can see beyond first impressions, beyond the stories of life's lines, through the glisten of an eye and into the universe of the soul. Therein, lives beauty all else merely tries to reflect.
   For today, I wish you a timeless moment, where you may catch your glance or get caught in the eternity of another's being, and see the most beautiful of things. You.

"L'Etoile De La Matin"

(Morning Star)

Self Portait

18x24

Acrylic on canvas

For a step by step photo montage of this painting, please visit my youtube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFIlA1vrq0k

tina jones

p.s. Title given by an anonymous soul who has loved me beyond comprehension.

   

Why I paint

Sometimes I come to ideas by nonconventional routes.
   A few weeks ago, I'd defrosted a 5 pound package of ground beef, as I'd not taken the time to separate it before freezing. I thought once it was soft, I'd shape it into patties for hamburgers. When the time came, I was occupied and couldn't take the time needed to pat out and cook all of that. In a pinch, and in fear that the beef would go bad if I didn't cook it, I came up with an idea.
   I added a few spices, nothing fancy, just onion powder, salt, pepper and whatever else I grabbed. I think it was something green, dry and leafy.  Next, I thought I'd just chance it. I put the whole 5 lbs in a baking pan. It used to be a roast before it was ground, so I just stuck it all back together in a sort of cake fashion or a big thick patty. I set the oven on something that seemed like it might work. It could have been 350 or 425. What do I know? Anyway, I put it in the oven.
  I got the feeling of being somewhat proud of my idea after I started smelling it cooking. I thought, "You know, others might want to benefit from this discovery! They'd never have to mess with hamburgers again! No standing over grills or popping grease! This could revolutionize the burger industry!"
  Basking in my ingenuitive brilliance, and about 45 minutes into the baking, I had a moment of clarity. It came to me quietly as awakenings often do....
Meatloaf! sighs
I had made accidental meatloaf.
That's why I paint.
tina jones

Reference Photos: A Second Look

    Photos are my shopping list of what I want to include in a painting. Even when getting close to photo realism, I'm free to edit out or add to the photo. In the following example. I've nearly copied the lower half of the photo.
  I found the reflection of myself, the chair and the closet door uninteresting, so I created a fantasy within the reflection. I've been careful to follow the general distortion of my own figure in the photo in creating the dancing figures. In other words, anything can go in this space as long as I follow the original distortion created by the curve of the sphere. This sphere is actually a Christmas ornament, and I've chosen to omit the small bit of ornament that shines to the lower right, making it only a sphere.
   We can improve on photos in many ways. My personal priority is to make more vivid the shapes of light and dark that I see, so that they are clear to the viewer. This will be apparent in the shapes of light on the walls and ceiling of this piece. They are greatly exaggerated. Other ways are to change colors, further soften and hide these shapes or add something of the artist's dreams or fantasies to a piece. It could even be a symbol that means something to the artist.



   For me, piano music and slow dancing go together, and the view from the shiny ball gives the viewer a peek at an intimate moment, made more vivid in size and by contrast.
   Left is the photo, and right is my finished work.

I hope you'll take a second look at reference photos that may not have been your idea of what they should be. They just might make for a good reference as an inspiration for fantasy.



"Dance of the Piano"
11x14"
Acrylic on Canvas

Happy seeing and painting!

tina jones





One third of the people

I've heard that one third of the people are going to love you no matter what you do.
One third of them are going to dislike you no matter what you do,
And one third of them aren't going to care one way or the other...no matter what you do.
 
  It leads me to believe that it's best for us to be ourselves. Trying to please isn't going to change the statistics..."no matter what you do."

  I've come to believe this to be true of art too. People like what they like. I think people are simply built for different likes, dislikes and apathy. I, for instance do not like sweet potatoes. No matter what you do to them, I'm not going to like them. It isn't personal, even if I were someone to whine at a sweet potatoe for not acting or tasting like I think it should, and even if I were to try to make the poor spud feel guilty about it. It's still going to be a sweet potatoe, and I still won't like it. I simply can't, because I'm in that one third (I'm not sure of the numbers in sweet potatoes) who is not going to like sweet potatoes.
   Rice cakes. I don't really care one way or the other. They're ok, but I don't have it in me to love or dislike them. In my world they simply exist, because I'm in that (theoretical) one third that doesn't have any passionate feeling about rice cakes.
   Strawberries, I love! I love them fresh, frozen even canned. I love them in pies, jam, dipped in cream, or plucked from the patch! I don't think I've met the strawberry I wasn't smitten with, and there is not a thing strawberries can do about that. I'm in the (imaginary) one third that loves strawberries with every fiber of my being. It's just the way I am, and has no bearing on strawberries whatsoever.
  All of this to say, it doesn't pay much to worry about who doesn't like you or doesn't notice. Chances are it's nothing to do with you and more about that person's hardwiring. I think time is best spent with those who like, love and care about us.
    I spent too much of my time thinking about those who didn't like me as a kid, and I neglected those who tried in every way possible to show me how much they cared. Those who loved me anyway were my precious one third who was going to love me no matter what I did. These are the ones I think of and devote my time to now. I am their strawberries, and they are mine.
   Those who are perpetually disappointed in you have their own things to deal with. Let them go with your loving blessing. Those who don't care one way or the other, keep your arms open that they may come or go, and those who love you no matter what, give of your time, thoughts and care. Let them know you appreciate them. If your busy with all of that love, you won't have time for worry about people that you don't really matter to. Surround yourself with love, and give it freely. Be strawberries! hehe.

Closeup Painted Chair Seat
Acrylic on Wood
Approx. 8x10"



Horse Painting Tutorial

Following the same steps as my Dog Painting Tutorial, here is a slighly more advanced horse.
First, a word about your reference photos. I'm not the best of photographers, but I don't find it to be a great problem when working loosely in painting. The odd blurred photo can make the best painting reference. Here, I'm using a photo that has very dark shadow and very little detail, and I could have painted (for instance) the bulk of the neck in solid black as is shown in the photo. If it's believable in the photo, it is believable in paint. If more detail is wanted, online searches for anatomy of your subject or reference photos for artists can be searched and studied, but again, your photo is going to be of great value and help to you. Spend time with it. Offer it more than a passing glance. I'll often live with a photo, even three or more copies of it in my house to look at in the living room, kitchen, studio, etc. for a few days before I ever pick up a pencil or a brush. I want that photo imprinted in my mind.

My printed and gridded reference photo



The grid of squares on a grey painted canvas,  and a carefully drawn basic image in white charcoal pencil.




Laying in lights and darks broadly




Refining lights darks and midtones and double checking shapes






Laying in the background and glazing (using a very transparent layer of paint to cover the horse and unify it. The transparent layer (glaze) is made of very, very little black paint, and a lot of medium) Highlights were then added.

 


Finished Piece
"Big Black Horse"
11x14"
Acrylic on Canvas

 


Dog Painting Tutorial: Using a Grid

What if I gave you this  grey square and a white pencil or paint, and I asked you to draw only the small white part in the lower right corner? What if I told you it didn't have to be exact, just roughly 1/4th of the way from the right side, and about 1/5th of the way from the bottom? What if I said a little smearing was ok? Could you draw this? Likely, you could.

How about this square? This time the shape is about 1/4th of the way from the right, but it's about 1/3rd of the way from the bottom. It also has a little hot dog shape on it. Could you draw the shapes loosely? I think so.

How About this one? Let's see. A curve close to the lower left corner curves up to not quite 1/3rd of the way up on the right. It has some dark lines in it. There is another shape here on the upper right. Can you imagine drawing these shapes?













What if I told you that I was going to give you 36 squares to work with, but that 8 of them were already finished for you? Could you leave those 8 alone? Ofcourse, you could. Now, you have 27 squares to draw or paint shapes in that don't have to be perfect.

What if some of the shapes had angles? I think you can.

What if a few of the shapes had different directions of loose strokes. Here, at the bottm left there are a few curves from the bottom to the left side, and on top of them theres sort of an arrow shape pointing down.
  From the top dark and light lines mixed up all go toward the arrow.
  I think you can do this too. Remember, it's loose and it doesn't have be accurate, just general direction.
  Nice abstract, I'd say. smiles.





   The squares are from a 5x7 print. I measured with a ruler and marked off each inch. Then I numbered them. I've put an "X" on each square where there is nothing of the dog for me to draw. The first square I showed you, was 2 across and 2 from the top. See if you can locate the others.

"Sure!" You'll say, "but there is an awful lot of information in some of those squares!"

This is true. Take 2 down and 4 across, for instance. It has most of the face in it. What if I told you, we can simplify it?

Within any square, we can create another grid. Here I've divided 2 down and 4 across into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces are simpler to render. Look at the top line, three across. You can do this. 

For my canvas, I painted it a sloppy medium grey and I made a grid just like the one on the photo in a white pastel (like chalk) pencil. I can wipe the grid away when I'm done. I chose to make my grid on the canvas 2x2", so my painting is twice the size of the photo.  Here is the dog with all of the 27 squares filled in. More work will be done refiining, but already this is a good representation of the above dog.

Using your own photo, choose a simple image, even a ball or a cup. Print it and make your grid on the paper image. Create your grid on your drawing/painting surface, and start filling in the squares!

OH! And don't be afraid to play...

                                                                              OR

  Bring that Puppy Home! hehe!

 "Stryker"

11x14 Acrylic on Canvas

tina jones



Passion

"Nude 10"
11x14 Acrylic on Canvas



Passion

“Hot” he says so innocently without notion.                            

Careful where you stand. Guard the seething cauldron.

Flames lick, and stretch, caressing in soothing stings

“Feels good” he says warming by embers that softly sing

With ferocity temporarily tame kinetic tombs.

“I love you” he says. Don’t let it consume

Unless you want it, Lest your tempted to open the gate,

Be forwarned. You tread the territory of fate.

Then there’s no return to cavernous space.

 Watch your heart and guard your face,

Yet I can tell you, it will not harm in it’s throes                     

It protects, feeds on its own and grows,

And you are the flames as much as I.

Dive if you’re brave. I rise dripping, meet heart to eye.

Flames lick wet whips in unquenchable screams.

Tongues in heat froth erotic creams.

Breath burns on skin, sweet acidic warm

Touches dissolve towers built from harm.

And walls fall like so much silk

In a gentle kiss, one another’s milk

Be us both lost or found by the liquid sun in me

Who only asks for all, whose All is all of me.

All of me, and all of you melted, to one that began two.

Unchain, reveal me. I beg, unleash me to you.

I am more than a storm of raining fire

I am more than me, reborn of simple desire.

A third is made, an Us created that is more powerful

Than any singular beginning or awakening hour, full

And mercilessly loving. The monster gloriously untethered

 Viciously entangled and ferociously surrendered.

I don’t know that I can survive this, and I cannot find a spark of care.

Stay with me close, Let me become this. Come with me trembling there.

Let me be more than what you see

And only who I am when I am free.

Sweet insanity, this longing without mistake,

No cold threatens, no isolation and no ache.

Arms hurt for now to hold. Sweet kindness cools and soothes

Through bitter nails and hungry bites with will-weakening  moves.

Sweet hunger starved for satiation,

Primal mind, writhing contemplation

Of single kisses and madly thrashing waves

Of willing partners, each others drenched slaves

It wakes, and cries, walls torn apart,

Dare you look, the cost... is but your heart,

For this passion no eyes yet see,

The win is love, and the prize is me.

Still I understand eyes that in fear cannot bear, .

I’ve seen the hidden places that souls cannot share,

I know fear, and I have compassion

For existence long since in silenced passion.

 I know the heat within, and I know the door.

I know how to close it, and I know that I want more.

The sadness of it is, I know how much I have to share

and crux remains, How much can you bear

Of love?

Tina Jones

Come Home

 Should you choose to enter my world, then you must first forget. Become simple.

  Forget all that has been learned of life and knowledge and what farce there may be in accepted *wisdom,* Become an innocent and be willing to experience the awe of a child. Be willing to tremble at the strength of an evening sun, be willing to catch snow flakes on your tongue and to dig your toes into the sand. Become a child with me.



"First Kiss"
18x24 Oil on Canvas

   I shake my head at those who sarcastically negate what youth know so easily claiming life taught them differently. "Ah, yes, I knew everything when I was that young too!" They laugh.

   I tell you now, if you want to know how to hope or love, ask a child. They have not yet learned the cynicism, negativity or the defeat of social standards. They have not learned of judgement or who is better than whom. They have not built walls or shunned differences. Indeed, these people know love, and forbid they ever know the arrogance of my age.

   These are my teachers, the innocent with their small words, big smiles and real tears. These are my Masters. I pray to grow enough to become what I always was under the labels, before the standards, behind  my judgements. I pray to know the wisdom of a child.

   So, maturity is to me growing enough to unlearn and growing small enough to hope, to love freely with the wonder of a child. I seek such clarity, and miss it by miles.

   Don't grow up with me. Grow small with me. Come home, and per chance, lead me there too.

"Return to Innocence" Enigma: h://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk_sAHh9s08

"Iris" Transformation of a Painting (nude)

It was an ok painting that did of some "Irises" years ago, hence the title.  At the time, there were a few television artists showing how to paint blended strokes. Usually, this is done by double loading a flat brush. One corner is dipped into one color of paint, and the other corner is dipped in another color. The brush is taken to the palette, and brushed back and forth until it leaves a mark transitioning smoothly from one color to the next. The brush is then taken to canvas to make the same kind of mark.

 

Inspired by a photograph of a model I took a handful of years back, and the interest in Van Gogh's "Irises" paintings, and the love of skeletal and muscle structure,  I set out to recreate what I'd created. I was fascinated by the foreground leg, so that's where I began.

 The original completely covered, I began sculpting the form. I added a bench for her to sit on. To remain true to my original painting and the idea of Irises, I put scumbles loosely in the back ground, and tightened up some forms to resemble the flower vaguely. A sheer drapery was added over the bench to reflect the flower petal's shape in hopes that the figure would become part of the flower. The thought led me to look up paintings by Georgia O'keefe for inspiration.

With the form set solidly, I began focus on light and shadow then added color. This is Yellow Ocre over Ivory Black and Titanium White. In the end, more white and black were added to enhance tonality and shift small muscles and bone within the form to make it come forward or recede, reach to light or fade to darkness. The sheer drapery was trimmed leaving only the remaining petal shapes on the bench. These were highlighted and shaded as well, becoming a carving there.

Though there are many Irises in the final work, I felt the focus should be only one.... her, the timeless lady iris, who sits, supple stone in remembrance of a simple work done long ago.

"Iris"

24x30"

Acrylic on Canvas

Is she finished? I don't know. Perhaps she will call again one day. smiles

tina jones

P.S. Read Critique Comments on this work at About.com Painting: http://tinyurl.com/49yb6s5

5/25/2011: "Iris" Has now been featured in Psychology Today magazine!
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/aspergirls/201105/aspergers-bullying-and-self-advocacy