Not a Bato...but..I'll paint just the same...

I scraped a paint panel off after painting this afternoon,
and my first painting scraped off perhaps in 20 years or
more that I can remember. I came to the conclusion I
might learn something about light, or find some inspira-
tion in Bato's work...but, I'm no Bato. I'm no Clyde Aspevig,
or Scott Christensen either for that matter. Love seeing
what is working for other artists and figuring out why.

I decided I needed a quick effort to recover my ego, so
I went back to my roots. No...its not a 200 hour painting
but it is a duck, a drake bluebill, very much like my
earlier work.

This oil sketch is 5"x 7" and painted in about an hour's
time.

















Its not at that state of submission-like perfection
I would work on for a competition stamp entree, but it
was fun...and I kept it brief and simple. Quick...and in
a sketch like state. What might be fun to do, is try one
counting my brushstrokes like I did about a year ago on
a half-dozen subjects. Such really gets you thinking about
the brush work...

2nd Attempt of Bato Inspired....Black Bear

Well, not there yet...but gettin' there. Not fully happy with
the water. For one, I'm known pretty much for how I paint
water...but there is no fussin' in Bato's method, and I can't
seem to shake the need to fuss. To not fuss, and yet get
the essence of it. Think this will drive me crazy!!! Might
have to change the name of my blog to "Artist Gone Mad!"

But, I did get I think a pulse on what Bato is doing now.
I had to pay attention to his color, and then it hit me. It
seems most of his paintings are based on an analogous
color scheme palette. That is...he has about three colors
that are neighbor colors, then uses the complement of that
plus black and white.

So, while not quite happy with the water totally (I'll work
with it till I like it better), I think I'm getting something
here. I chose several blues..in their tinted form, violet
blue to a slight greenish/blue with a pastel or tinted form
of yellow-orange or pinkish orange. Check out Bato's work
yourself, see if you might not agree...many are analogous
in color.

This one, 8"x 10"...and not quite yet finished...but interesting
enough to share and report progress...and you must, you
simply must click on this one to see larger. The color and
brushwork will impress you totally different and you will see
more what I was doing!!!

Now for Something Completely Different!!!

Well...its that time once again to experiment, push myself
in directions unfamiliar, discover what I can and implement
thereafter what I find useful and pertinent to me as an artist.

I have been taken in by a Russian Artist, whom Californian
artist Bill Wray has introduced us to on Wetcanvas.com, his
name is Bato Dugarzhapov and I suggest if
you check him out, do take time to look thru a good many
pages of his work. At first you may not get it...but using a
lighter light key in many of his work, he suggest so stinkin'
much appearing to do so very little!

To make it easier, I have a thread going at Wetcanvas.com in
the Animal/Wildlife art forum...where you can see examples
of Bato's that speak to me...and some works of my wildlife art
for comparison. That is, if this whole experimental push thing
interests you. Just click on the word Wetcanvas.com above.

I decided tonight, I would take a 5"x 7" panel, mix up a
simple palette in a higher light key than I might more
likely use. It certainly is NOT Bato enough...but I was
inspirted by Bato's work to try something looser, more
suggestive.

Some artists fear such experiments, or especially sharing
such things, but the art instructor in me asks "why not let
you come along on the journey with me?" ...so, I tend to
take risks perhaps in what others might think of my work.

In truth...I act like a teacher giving myself assignments,
knowing it has been said that a "mind stretched can never
return to its former dimension"...and I stand to learn
something valuable. I can do such believing that what I
experiment on does not ultimately HAVE to DEFINE ME.

My wife and I recent spent time on the Pine River, at
La Salle Falls in NE Wisconsin, and while there I envisioned
black bears visiting the spot. Here is my "BATO" driven
first attempt...

Please, by all means click on this image to see a much
better larger image. The brushwork and color will make
much better sense.