Color Field Inspiration And More.

This Is Where It Goes.

The other day a person who follows this blog asked me about the Indian Women series of paintings which I started over a year ago, wondering where I was with this project. The answer:  on hold.  Late last spring I stopped working on the portraits due to frustration with the most recent.  Do you remember the portraits?  

So just exactly what does this have to do with using Color Field painting as an inspiration?  The verbal comment and recent work with Color Field has helped me break through my frustration with the women.  I had a canvas that was partially painted, partially over-painted, and then left to simmer last Spring.  

I put this project aside after painting several faces on paper, very quickly, using a limited palette to get myself to loosen up, working towards a more contemporary look.  The canvas and these paper pieces were just sitting in my studio, bothering me.  I had thought about using all of these faces together on one canvas but had not quite worked out how I wanted to accomplish this.  But since I have been working with Color Field I could now see what I should do.  

More layers of paint, cutting and ripping the paper, adding three of the paper faces, and additional detail has brought me to this point.  

I am painting every day, so this is coming together fairly quickly.  The woman is Delores Patencio who was a well known Cahuilla Indian Woman from the Coachella Valley, and when the painting is complete I will give more information about her and her work, so check back.  Isn't it crazy to see where a simple project, such as exploring Color Field painting can go?

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Portrait #6 in the Indian Women Series.

Started Sketches for a New Portrait Today.

I took a few days, maybe a week, off and out of my studio.  Guilt set in at first, but then I realized I needed a break.  So I worked in the garden, read, did some cooking, went to some social events, did a little house keeping, cleaned out the shed (boy did that need to be done) hiked, biked, and zipped out of town for a couple days.  

Interestingly enough, just yesterday I was asked if I paint every day.....you guessed the answer:  no.  However I did respond that I do something creative every day and that my mind is always working towards the next painting, paintings. So it wasn't a surprise that I blasted back into the studio today with fresh ideas for about five new paintings.  If there was only more time in the day. 

Here's the rough sketch of what's to come, at least one of what is to come.  And this is a ROUGH sketch, so there will most likely be changes.  Check back....I will post the progress.

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The Fifth Portrait.

 As Promised, The Process Continued.

Sally Snooks

20x20

1000.

Mentioned in an earlier post, this series of Indian women portraits is an experiment for me having never painted portraits previously.  The promise was I would share this process with you, so here is #5.

Laying on base pigment to begin new portrait.

I came across a wonderful photo of Sally Snooks and after some research I see her name printed as Snooks and Snook.  I also see her heritage assigned to Washoe and Piaute, so more research is required.  She definitely lived and worked in the Tahoe area and is recognized as a talented basket maker.

Base layers of pigment in the background and addition of lighter and darker tones in the face.

I decided to place the face off to the left of the canvas with the eyes looking down to the right, off the painted space.  I get so involved in the the process that I forget to stop to take photos, so some of these photos make fairly large leaps between one another.  

After a few more facial details, the head scarf and clothing areas get base color.

Painting in details on the scarf and decorative band.

The decorative areas on the head scarf and band across the painting are inspired by designs from two of Sally Snooks' baskets. 

Scarf and bank completed.

I struggled with this portrait.  When it got to the point you see in the photo just above I was very disappointed.  I was not sure I liked the composition, the facial tones seemed flat.  I walked away for a few days, but left the painting where I would see it constantly. I returned and spent time plumping out Sally's left cheek as well as altering come of the lights and darks throughout the entire painting.  You will also notice, in the photo below, the addition of the lighter blue tones in the background.  I also added a top varnish layer of Liquin to give the painting a high gloss finish.  For better or worse, it is complete and you can decide what you think.

Sally Snooks

Acrylic on Canvas

20x20

1000.

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Indian Portrait Paintings

 The Fourth Painting in My New Series.

Dat so la Lee with 8 Degikup Baskets

24x24

1200.

Let's take a look at the process for this particular painting of Dat so la Lee with 8 degikup baskets and while doing so you will read a bit about the baskets too.  Painless history.

The canvas began with the same palette used for the previous 3 paintings and some of the same composition elements, the rectangle behind the head symbolizing a throne back, the stripe across the top third of the canvas an area that will hold a design from one of Dat so la Lee's baskets, and a ring of degikup baskets circling her neck.

Dat so la Lee is most famous for developing the degikup basket style that consisted of a large spherical shaped basket with a flat base and a small opening. It is estimated that she produced nearly 300 baskets in her lifetime, some taking a year to create.  Amazing.  In this particular painting I choose to represent some of her degikup baskets as well as the face of this talented woman.

After laying on some of the flesh tones I begin to concentrate on the dark and light areas of the face, all the while trying to think of anything but the fact that this is a face.  Remember, this is all new to me.

Traditionally, Washoe utilitarian baskets, or degikup, were round, watertight baskets made to hold such things as acorn mush, pine nut soup, and a drink made from wild rhubarb. 

By adding darker areas, shaded line work, the features become more obvious.

Degikup were also important in Washoe ceremonies. During the Washoe girls’ dance, food was put in degikup and given to singers in thanks for their singing; another degikup was thrown out to the dancers as a gift.  

The hair and beginnings of the head scarf go in....I needed to leave the face alone since I was nervous about overworking.

These baskets, the degikup,  were relatively simple in form and design—as were Dat so la lee’s first baskets. However, Dat so la lee transformed the shape and design of degikup, making truly aesthetic, sculptured baskets.

After painting in basic shading for her head scarf I went back to her face and had an 'ah ha' moment...thank goodness...using the same techniques I use to paint my rocks I was able to simplify, intensify, give character and depth to this face.

The Carson Valley and Lake Tahoe were home to Dat so la Lee.  Because I live and work in this area, I want to honor the early, talented women, those of the tribes that inhabited this area, the women who wove tribal history into their baskets.  This is why I am choosing to paint portraits of these women, and the first woman I have chosen to paint is Dat so la Lee, this the fourth of her and fourth in my series.

After more research about the degikup basket and Dat so la Lee's degikup baskets in particular, I painted in the base colors for the baskets making them slightly larger than they were in the original sketch.  Selecting a design from one of her baskets to place on the head scarf  repeats what was done in the first portrait.

It's the local Indian basket weavers I want to honor with portraits: Dat so la Lee, Lizzie Peters, Jennie Bryant Shaw, Tillie Snooks, Tootsie Dick, Maggie Mayo James, Lilly James, to name a few.  These women lived and worked in the late 1800's and into the early 1900's.  Their craft was traditionally handed down mother to daughter, the creation of utilitarian vessels that were spectacular in design as well as being useful in life. Because it is the women I want to honor, not the baskets, the focus in my paintings is general, not specific.  My painted baskets do not compare to the precise and intricate weave these women accomplished and I do not strive for them to do so.

Detail of the painting showing the completed scarf and the beginning of the basket designs, all inspired by actual baskets woven by Dat so la Lee.

The background stripe filled with another design from one of Dat so la Lee's baskets.

Creating these women in paint is my way of acknowledging  and honoring their lives and their craft.  

Dat so la Lee With 8 Degikup Baskets

24x24

1200.

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