A large piece of brown packing paper has been annoying me for days, perhaps longer. I saved it to paint on later, then slotted it into a place where it just kept getting in the way. Today I tore it up, and put it back together to make painting surfaces.
Deconstruction and integration.
I used some previous work as references, and a chinagraph pencil to make contour drawings, often in one continuous line, to create a new version of the old portraits.
For each one my process involved a limited palette, working with tonal value but abstracting it a little, and using one of my larger scratchy brushes – integrating recent portrait practise process with something different.
The first portrait (right image) wasn’t dry when I ripped off the masking tape where her eyes were painted, and then tore her into pieces. I put her back together, and stuck her eyes back on, and then finished up some details, but I intentionally left her unresolved.
The second portrait, not shown, used a different painting as reference, and I developed the process, but I didn’t tear her up (yet?).
The third portrait, (left image) I used the same reference as the first painting, and also used the deconstructed reconstructed painting as reference.
I haven’t torn her up (yet?) or ripped off pieces of masking tape (yet?) but I really felt alive painting these, and the brown paper isn’t in the way now, which makes for a successful session.
The torn one has a vibe I like.
Tile the morn,
Suzanne
217/300
Thrummie Bizzum 
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