"Discovery" Oil on panel, 24"x36" (copyright Nancy Rynes)
I'm still enjoying painting these pieces - they're probably more "me" than anything else I've ever done. But I knew at the time that I let these new pieces out into the world, they would have a lasting effect on my more literal, less symbolic works which I also still enjoy creating.
Over the last few months, really since I finished the painting below (The Gift), I noticed that my technique for painting my more literal pieces was beginning to change subtly.
"The Gift" Oil on linen, 18"x24" (copyright Nancy Rynes)
Now, compare the paint application in "The Gift" to that in the painting below, done over a year ago:
"Red-Tailed Hawk Study" Oil on Board, 16"x12" (copyright Nancy Rynes)
While the paint application on the birds is very similar between the two paintings, the backgrounds and edges are quite a bit different. The Hawk painting has thicker paint, especially in the background, and much harsher edges. It's definitely powerful, but not exactly what I had intended to achieve.
My paint application has gradually thinned since the Hawk study, a bit more controlled and at the same time, softer in edge handling. Applying paint thickly and energetically is fun, but for me it's also barely-controlled chaos. It was really easy for the whole mess to spiral out of control where the only solution was to scrape and start over. It also made it more difficult for me to achieve the softer edges that I wanted, especially in my paintings of birds. I finally reached the point a few weeks ago where I was totally frustrated with this thicker paint application. I felt like I was forcing myself into this technique, and it didn't feel right to me anymore.
With the slow move to softer edges and thinner paint application, my paintings started to achieve that softness I was looking for - but it's not quite there yet. I'm on the right track, though. This painting, called "A Little Attitude" is closer to what I want to achieve:
"A Little Attitude" Oil on Canvas, 9"x12" (copyright Nancy Rynes)
Being frustrated with the technique of thicker paint application, and knowing I'm closing in on the look I want, I've decided to spend some time in concentrated experimentation with paint and surfaces. What I need now is to bring a little more thought into the process, but at the same time leave myself open to play and serendipity.
Play and experimentation are valuable techniques for any artist in the evolution of a style. I teach this to my students and now it's time for me to live it myself for a few months.
My goal: I want to somehow combine a softer, thinner base paint application with finishing touches of more impasto-like flourishes. I want my edges to be more varied - more softness overall with harder edges at the focal points. I want more luminosity in the finished product - a better handling of light and glow and sparkle.
I'm not sure where this path will lead, if anywhere, but it promises to be interesting and fun. I hope you'll check back on my progress as I share ups and downs, progress and setbacks, lessons learned, and maybe an interesting new slant to my traditional work.
Content and paintings are copyright Nancy Rynes, 2013. You may link to this page, but please do not copy or in any way use these works without my written consent.
