ESSAY 2D PAPER • A ONE STROKE PAINTING
<<BACKVOYAGE OF VIRTUE
34" x 28" Acrylic on watercolor paper
Private Collection
Voyage of Virtue—painted vertical (turn image clockwise) at a private painting workshop with a young artist at my Florida studio. During a demonstration of gestural painting with an oversized brush dripping with paint, my entire arm made an expansive circular movement in front of the easel—lightly touching the paper at lower center. Note the majority of the paint landed as the gesture moved swiftly in front of the paper.
To dissuade drizzles from traveling further down the paper, the piece was immediately removed from the easel and laid on the studio floor. Walking around it, viewing the image from all sides, the profile of a woman’s head and upper torso became clear within seconds. Both of us flushed with excitement, student Kq said something like...now how cool is that! And off to the easel he went.
Titling came about a couple weeks later as I was sitting at my desk, looking across the office gazing at this painting while problem solving a studio issue. The image of the woman’s head reminded me of carvings from Viking mastheads—I said yeah this situation is a voyage . . . of virtue!
A little more thought about titling the piece Voyage of Virtue alongside the studio issue and a metaphor of the Viking ship carvings . . . this painting is reminding me to stay true to ones course, in light of adversity, and be open for creative solutions. A voyage of virtue indeed. Thanks much Kq for being an energetic participant in the creation process.
Essay revised August 1, 2021 | Originally published 2003
34" x 28" Acrylic on watercolor paper
Private Collection
Voyage of Virtue—painted vertical (turn image clockwise) at a private painting workshop with a young artist at my Florida studio. During a demonstration of gestural painting with an oversized brush dripping with paint, my entire arm made an expansive circular movement in front of the easel—lightly touching the paper at lower center. Note the majority of the paint landed as the gesture moved swiftly in front of the paper.
To dissuade drizzles from traveling further down the paper, the piece was immediately removed from the easel and laid on the studio floor. Walking around it, viewing the image from all sides, the profile of a woman’s head and upper torso became clear within seconds. Both of us flushed with excitement, student Kq said something like...now how cool is that! And off to the easel he went.
Titling came about a couple weeks later as I was sitting at my desk, looking across the office gazing at this painting while problem solving a studio issue. The image of the woman’s head reminded me of carvings from Viking mastheads—I said yeah this situation is a voyage . . . of virtue!
A little more thought about titling the piece Voyage of Virtue alongside the studio issue and a metaphor of the Viking ship carvings . . . this painting is reminding me to stay true to ones course, in light of adversity, and be open for creative solutions. A voyage of virtue indeed. Thanks much Kq for being an energetic participant in the creation process.
Essay revised August 1, 2021 | Originally published 2003