100 Souls /
Thoughts about this project.
Basic Intentions
• to become comfortable and experiment with the encaustic medium
• to bring more physical brushstrokes into my work
• to allow myself to be free of content
Parameters
• to use the same object as the subject matter for all paintings
I choose the skull because it is one of the most compelling and esthetically interesting
objects to me.
• to use the same size board (8” x 10”)
• to use a three hour time limit for each piece
• to use the dim, natural light that comes in my basement window
The Paintings
1-10 I am enjoying the discipline and ritual of the project. I want the skulls to seem
more archeological than Halloween-like.
I recall how much I liked the temple of skulls at a Mayan Ruin and the human
skull collection at the Mutter Museum.
10-20 After making twelve skulls I have made the decision to do one hundred. It is
interesting to see how many variations of the same plastic skull I can create.
I am finding it harder to experiment freely because I have a need to make the
skulls a unified whole. They are becoming bigger than individual parts.
20-30 The background seems more important as I am getting tired of the skull.
I need to be more inventive with the viewpoint of the skull.
My uncle suffers a severe head injury in a bike accident.
30-40 I hear a nagging question coming from my head, “what is this about?”
It seems to be growing beyond just the formal intentions.
40-50 Dental work has become way to help maintain my interest and gives each skull
some personality.
Should I stop at fifty. Fifty is a good number. No. Fifty always seems like half.
50-60 The paintings are getting tighter and less painterly. I’m getting pickier.
I really like all the scratchy marks
60-70 I keep trying to introduce more colors but they always get muted by the
greenish black oil bar glaze applied as a final coat. This glaze gives the work an
appealing Renaissance-like quality in light and tone. It also brings out the
brushstrokes.
70-80 I am letting go of using only natural light. I will add a single light from the
same direction.
80-90 These are going really fast...The light is at the end of the tunnel. Adding the light
source has given new life to the work.
Charlton Heston announces he has Alzheimer's.
90-100 I am kind of sad that the project is coming to an end, but it is going so slowly.
Now I have too many ideas for the number of panels left, but they mostly
seem too different (more humorous) from the way I started out. I am definitely stopping at 100.