Layer Cake

I'm filing this one in the "meh" pile under "some cool techniques to use later that I ruined by piling too much on top of each other"

Day 177: Process

Lately I’ve been having trouble knowing when to stop with my abstracts. If Tim Gunn were in my studio, he’d be saying, “I’m concerned. I just think you need to remember to edit” with that frowny look on his face. Today, after hours on the cityscape, I decided to focus on one layer at a time for my daily piece and document the process as I went. Now, looking back, I can see where I should have stopped. 🙂 Instead of boring you with a bunch of art chatter, I’ve included a bunch of images to take you on a photo journey of today’s artmaking.

Too bad there's no "go back" button on paintings, eh?

8 thoughts on “Layer Cake”

  1. yeah? i like the way you bake.

    imo – filing this is okay, but reserve judgment/assessment for a year. …okay for a while. i’m often way too close to my process to really see the result separate from what i KNOW went into it. …or got hidden up in it.

    this doesnt read to me like “meh”. or even “eh”.

    there is a strong feeling in this work. yeah, hearts are tough. they are so way visually powerful. i think this work functions as a unit tho. regardless of how many layers.

    it’s only the last thing we see of each layer that really counts as the work tho. the layers underneath the mona lisa that we cant see, dont really count as the work. they count in the process – but not the final work in terms of what that final image is.

    …yeah. okay, if you could have gotten this in 6 layers rather than 19, fine. may be you just enjoy the process a lot and you have 3 works piled into one. okay, there may be something in that. ….somehow i dont think so tho.

    you have to do what you have to do to get to where you want to be. if the cake takes 19 layers – fine. and yeah, may be you could do without some… that doesnt bother me. i’m the viewer. it’s only the end cake that i eat. my initial take on this was not “meh” or “eh”. it was closer to wow, yes. beautiful.

    …okay, it is something others go after sometimes – it’s still uniquely you. i can see it in – yeah, your layers and texture. …among other things.

    bwahahahaha – do your work your own way (imo). …and my apologies to Tim Gunn. ….who was never actually in this conversation… so i suppose it’s an apology to the tim gunn in you.

    …now i want to see this done the way you think your tim gunn in you thinks it should be done. …that’s not a request it’s just that after my spiel i find i’m curious.

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  3. Jen says:

    You think you added too much? I like it – in fact, I think I’d add more but I’d add maybe a collage image nside the heart and some 3-d elements to the canvas…sorry – that’s the altered art side of me. But seriously, I like it alot. I might try something similar if you don’t mind…

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    • Those are good ideas! I tend to want to simplify, but I think when I add stuff I don’t quite add enough to make it one of those pieces with tons going on… it’s so helpful to have feedback/suggestions from people like you. Thanks for commenting!

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  4. I really like it and I don’t think you mess it up either. I always want to try layer but I don’t have the patience for the drying process. I guess I just have to slow down a little. I love how the painting caught my attention. It remind me of a love letter.

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    • Thank you! I don’t have patience for drying either. That’s why I use acrylic and work in thin layers. That way I don’t have to wait too long to do something else with it. 🙂 I’ll check out your blog to see some of your work!

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