When I first arrived at the OK Bungalows, I checked out the area for painting possibilities. Immediately, I saw lots of opportunities for landscapes and seascapes. From inside my bungalow, I also saw some possibilities for working inside which would allow me to work in the event the rainy season started early in Thailand. What most caught my eye indoors was a white lawn chair that had been left by the door. It looked perfect for posing a model.
Over a few weeks, I kept to my goal of painting only landscapes. My mind kept going back to the chair and the notion of painting a model there. As a general rule, I prefer to entertain the notion and see what develops. As the days passed, I thought many times of finding a model but none appeared, but the simplicity of the chair against a simple background remained. Simplicity in painting is one area I have been exploring on this trip and the question began to occur, is it possible to create a painting that has interest even if the subject was only this chair? It was time to find out. I experimented with painting the chair over a period of several days. Here is the result:
Often I will ask for comments from others to hear what they see in my work. The two people I asked both had the same comment: something is missing. This was good news, since it was exactly what I wanted to convey. It also confirmed the title I had i mind for the piece – ‘Waiting for the Model.’
During the days I worked on this painting, I had some unexpected visitors. I had stepped away for a coffee break and returned twenty minutes later to get back to painting. I sat down and turned to get more paint from the palette. This is what I saw:
There were a lot of ants in these two square inches and this same population density of Thai red ants extended across the whole palette, and the sides, and the lid, and onto the table. Apparently they have a fondness for the walnut oil that is in the some of the paint. Hmmm… what to do? Keep painting. Unfortunately for these some of these creatures, they are now part of several of my paintings. Traveling does have its
surprises!
Next: Ever Painted Palms?