Starting Point
Today I took a walk. All by myself. Imagine that–all by myself! No husband, no friends, no dogs. Nobody tugging me in another direction. Nobody getting bored or impatient while I stooped to examine interesting things. Nobody peeing on every corner. Just me.
And my camera. Canon Power Shot. Nice little thing–small enough to fit in my purse or pocket but with enough bells and whistles to make a pro happy.
I’m not a pro so it makes me very happy. I just disable the flash and let the camera do the rest. Because I’m not looking for great photos…I’m looking for inspiration for my next paintings. Texture. Composition. The undefinable something that passes the squint test.
And I found it in downtown Nevada City, which is neither in Nevada nor a city, just an old gold mining town in the Sierra foothills. The gold rush era buildings ooze yummy–I’m talkin’ YUMMY–texture.
Old funky sheet metal and older, funkier concrete…it’s enough to make a girl swoon, I’m tellin’ you, pass out with the delight.
And then there’s just plain old metal on metal. Not that there’s anything plain about this. It’s just begging me to create its likeness in wax.
Rust. Wood. Sheet metal. Stone.
These will keep me busy in the studio this weekend. They’re for reference only, a jumping off point for plaster and wax. If history is any indication, the final results will look nothing like the original.
I’ll post before and after pics, maybe some during the process. Look for them in the next few days.