Inspiration Fridays! Have You Tried Collaboration?
Have You Tried Collaboration?
Not everyone can sit still.
“In every portrait, there is something of the model’s spirit and something of the artist’s soul. The true portrait emerges only when the two are in harmony.” – Paul Cézanne
When I find someone I can work with in the studio I try to make as many paintings as humanly possible. My friend Cynthia is back in town for my portrait workshop. She’s an incredible model who fully embodies the spirit of the muse. Her gestures appear effortless, and the paintings come easily. The brush dances through colors on the palette, we catch up on each other’s lives, and I forget that she hasn’t moved for well over a half an hour. When my eyes begin to cross, I realize that I’m in need of a break, and she is still holding the pose.
It’s only after we step away from the painting, that I catch a little creak in her step. She’s devoted to the process, but I’m not trying to be a sadist. Next time I’ll set a timer.
Working from life gives the process an immediacy that keeps the artist honest.
I’ve painted actors, athletes, musicians, and dancers. They all become friends. It’s impossible to go through the process of painting someone without discovering connection. The magic of this kind of art is in the collaboration. The time spent together is charged and alive. It’s inspired.
That synergy alone is reason enough to paint, but it also informs the rest of my work. I learn from the immediacy of this shared process. When I’m working on paintings that don’t allow for a live model, I take what I’ve learned from live painting and try to infuse my studio paintings with some of the same intensity. I can look back at some of those shared studies and remind myself that painting is more than just copying a photo.