S.I.P - Making a statement with your art through the power of size.

The power of art can engage, invite an audience to enter your world. Size is a very powerful and captivating experience to share with others and a worthwhile experience for any artist to pursue at least once.

Artistic communication on this scale requires formulating big ideas, and having the ability to organize and execute. Know to expect the unexpected......

This week the "Swimming in Paint team" is about to enter a larger pool, LARGE FORMAT PAINTING....not for everyone. Kinda like jumping off the highest board, conquering the fear of heights, choosing it over the less challenging lower boards. One might say, why?  Well, more room to paint, wave your arms around, allow the paint filled brush to dance across space and canvas to the music man. A conductor exploring intuitive painting without boundaries. Get closeup and personal, make a personal statement with our art that will require quick thinking, coordination between palette and canvas, a brain syncing exercise at its best. The ultimate goal, self satisfaction, making a broader statement with your art that will resinate....perhaps through time

A belly flop is almost certain the first time. Yikes! Hate to say it team, at best, it will be a clumsy effort. Like all things it requires more than a few tries to understand how to conquer space. One tried and true method is to "divide and conquer".......historically effective. Organizational skills, able to think big, make quick decisions helps make the landing a bit softer. Expect the unexpected.....

The team has (3) days to finish. They pick their size and subject. Over the last months the team worked mostly on 30x30 canvas, 900 square inches and smaller ones to explore, a horse, a bird, a Koi and so on. We'll go bigger, double or triple the 900 square inch size up to a 2700 - 3000 square inches.....a single canvas around 56x48.

Our current easels have some size limitations but with more time we could also go much larger by connecting canvas together. My first one was a 60x90 (below) made up of (3) 60x30 canvases. The largest was a 60x192 made up of (4) 60x48 canvases (easier when it comes to storage and shipping)

DIVIDE & CONQUERER METHOD

Winter Koi - Maymont 60x90 oil on linen - canvas 464 (4-12-11)

Cottrell Collection 

 TEAM NOTE

Friday, think of approaching our large white canvas this way. The painting above could also be accomplished with (6) 30x30 canvases, 5400 sq. in. Does this also remind anyone of the (9) Squares painting we did a while back? " Divide and Conquerer"!

This particular painting would take longer than our (3) day studio would allow. Technically using this formula, it would take (6) days. Which makes me believe the team, over (3) days, can triple a 30x30 (900sq,in) into a complete 2700 square inch plus canvas.

Coaches conclusion: If you painted the "Swimming in Paint" 30x30 standard size canvas, completed it or came close each session, did the smaller studies and attended more than a few sessions, this project is absolutely do-able by any team member ........so, while I said "Expect a Belly Flop" I don't expect that to happen!

Friday morning 9:30am Crossroads classroom # 1......you know the rest:=)