Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Today's sketch / O esboço do dia - 57


Cabbages and "alminhas" (frontispiece shrines)...
Couves e alminhas...

6 comments:

Niall young said...

You know..I've been such an infrequent visitor of late Paulo, but I have to say I admire your dedication to these wonderful paintings...but i have to ask, don't you ever yearn to work on a larger scale or vary the subject matter?..don't get me wrong, your work is of the highest quality and I suppose I know how you might feel as so many people ask me similar things regarding my technique....

Paulo J. Mendes said...

Those are two good questions, Niall... Actually these days I've been feeling a wish to work on a scale a bit larger, and tomorrow's post will be the first fruit. Still don't know where it will take me, but the possibility of moving little by little to larger scales is more considered now than a couple of months ago. Let's see what happens.

Concerning the subject matter, there is a plenty of different things I wish to paint, although not moving too much from the landscape range, but with a bigger focus in the natural landscape, if possible painted on location in order to practice and learn, as I'm still feeling unskilled for many of Nature's forms: Trees, water, clouds, some lights, etc. For many reasons I've been unable to visit the countryside these last two months, so I've been using only my imagination lately, but looking forward to seat somewhere in the mountains with paper, pencil and brushes and see what happens :))

Unknown said...

Paulo, I was just going to say "enchanting" and leave it at that
But then I read the comment left by Niall and your reply.
My two cents, with no disrespect to Niall's great & valid questions! (after all, it got us talking :-)
I think it's important to explore new ideas, but on the other hand, it's also just as important to continue honing your specific area of expertise. You obviously feel a connection to these villages and the surrounding countryside, because it is evident in what you paint.
I used to feel that I needed to paint everything well.
As time passed, I grew to realize that I truly am a figurative artist. And the label helps identify who I am. Sure, i can paint trees and buildings, but not with the same depth of feeling that I can put into a person's face or figure.
So for what it's worth,
I'm happy to know you are painting what you love!
(of course, that might change next week, right? we artists can be fickle lol)

Paulo J. Mendes said...

I understand your point so well, Christy. My present goals are in order to improve the work I'm doing in my specific area. However, even in those places I feel connected and love to paint, there are subjects I haven't dare to try yet, because my memory and imagination aren't sufficient to learn about them (I paint from memory and imagination as you know). It's the case of specific trees, how a landscape is organised, the movement and reflections on water, and so many many others... My intention is, as soon as I have that possibility, to start drawing from life in the countryside, not in order to become more realistic or intentionally change my style or body of work, but to become more aware of the shapes that come out of my pencil.
Wherever this will take... Don't know at all, but that's the fun of it :)

F.M.Marrouch said...

Hola Paulo, en estos bocetos demuestras el dominio que tienes del dibujo, se ven trazos rápidos pero precisos, y esto se refleja en tus trabajos definitivos, en cuanto a las preguntas que te hicieron , creo que la evolución del trabajo pictórico es un camino natural y hay que dejar que sientas tu la necesidad de hacer cosas nuevas, y mientras disfrutar pintando lo que te gusta.
saludos.

Paulo J. Mendes said...

Lo que dices es verdad, amigo F. M. Marrouch, y lo más importante es disfrutar del placer de trabajar. Hay cosas y ideas nuevas que me gustaria hacer, con tiempo y práctica vamos a ver lo que pasa.
Saludos :))