Now in the midst of the Covid’s societal lock down I’m very much missing the interactions with living human beings, both of observing them and participating with them. It’s actually what most of my creative works result from.
Two summers back, I had a rare photo shoot of three sisters, the eldest of whom was just shy of the age of majority. ‘Rare’ because I just don’t do such shoots with people who aren’t in my close associations.
One of the girls had discovered what I do and made it known that she’d be interested to be involved. Within six months, that involvement happened when she, her mother, and two of her sisters came to the house and we did a picture session. It was purely speculative. No painting ideas were in place that they might pose for and the hope was that something would come about, inspired by the shoot.
Most of my models for art have been those I know and trust and the pictures reflect that connection. This session was a sort of a bridge in that while the sisters were not total strangers to me – I was somewhat acquainted with the family and knew them to be good people – neither were they personal friends of mine that I spend time with. The picture session was the only thing we’ve ever done.
Two paintings have come of it to date.
The first painting idea came right away and I knew I had a classic. The oldest of the three had a look that conveyed everything beautiful and my camera captured this during a lull in the organized flow of the session. Something was going on with the other two and their mother in another part of the yard and Emma looked on, listening with casual interest. Though we were between posing segments, I kept taking pictures while she was oblivious to me and when I reviewed them during post processing, I was struck with awe.
The idea evolved. My initial concept was quickly shot down by the mom, not because it was faulty but in light of the circumstance with the girl so close to emancipation. Rather than depict her in buttons and bows fairy tale princess mode which she so well fits, I went another route. The setting and circumstance now put her on a paddle board in a lake of water lily flowers. There she was a young adult. A woman. Beautiful and more, enjoying life on her own terms.
It was a success.
A full year passed before the painting of her then 15 year old sister who though every bit the equal in attributes of femininity and good character was a sweet flavor all her own. With faultless posture and endearing expressions she was an ultimate example what I look for in painting inspiration. Shy, inward, but sunny in disposition she was a great mix of virtues. Her hope was that the family dog would figure into her painting and that was a challenge. Milo was an adorable dog incarnation of Marty Feldman. His eyes! Awkward looking creature in the photos.
After numerous false starts, I devised a composition that worked. I placed Elizabeth on a fallen log in the water lily lake with Milo by her side between her teal dress and protective arm. He was thus close to her but also enlivened by the environment they shared and I focused his eyes on a nearby hummingbird. I didn’t have any pictures of him in the pose I needed, but I had enough visual data to construct it.
I painted her hair a bit longer, responding to something I heard when I took the painting to their house at the 90% stage of it’s completion. That meeting was a valuable exercise from which I came up with the coloring of her dress and the importance of getting Milo in the picture, which at the time he was not.
It’s a beautiful painting that makes me happy every time I walk past it.
At the start of the year, I hung it in the hall which forces up close viewing and as a result I keep the hall light on all day because I love passing that painting and the others that hang near it. Nice from a distance. Nicer close up.
The youngest of the sisters is yet unpainted, though I’ve spent long hours exploring potential compositions and have excitedly begun half a dozen ideas that fizzled. I got another painting idea for her last night and I’ve begun developing the design plan.
Recently I got an email from an acquaintance I’ve not seen lately because of this social distancing lock down. She wrote, “I have so many projects that could be worked on, but sometimes my motivation is lacking”.
She hit the nail on the head! That’s got a universal component of reality to it.
Motivation is the only reason the two paintings above exist and it’s the driving force behind the one I’m planning next. I could never hope to have done any of them on a whim.
Managing motivations is central to the foundation of happy outcomes and enjoyable processes and the evidence that it matters is in these two paintings which this world would never have had without my determination to make them happen and the sister’s willingness to be my inspiration.
I sure miss people!
