Every time I visit a museum and am faced with large canvas panels painted with a single color I wonder why I waste time drawing stuff.  It’s not that I’m enthused by these boring wall coverings.  It’s that I’m told they’re worth millions, while my art is worth nothing.  For some reason that matters.

So, I’m doing something about it.  I’m switching mediums again (acrylics this time) and increasing the size of my resulting artworks significantly.  My brush is now 4″ wide and I use a very limited palette but buy the paint in one gallon containers.

The one downside to this sort of art is that surface prep is extensive.  It involved cleaning and scrubbing, followed by sanding.  But ultimately I was ready to make modern art.  Here is my equipment.

I decided I should start small to get used to the materials.  The first problem I ran into was that I’m a sketcher of things so painting without things just isn’t right, so my first attempt was too representational.

My second attempt didn’t go much better.  I realized that I need to paint a different view from typical, working the angles and shapes to achieve art on a higher plane.  I’m afraid that I may still have missed the mark.

I must admit that modern art is harder than I thought.  I’m sure, though, that when my eight-foot square canvas and paint roller arrive, I’ll do better.

Until then I’ll pose a question.  Is this urban sketching?  These paintings were done on location.  They were done in an urban environment and there’s a reportage component to them.  And I’m sharing it with others, one sketch at a time.  Hmmm….

One thing is for sure.  While we say that sketching is about the process, not the product, this is not that.  The process is not fun.

Have a nice day everyone.