The Path and The Way - A Creative Process

The Path
30 x 10 Mixed Media on Artist's canvas
$750

The Way
30 x 10 Mixed Media on Artist's canvas
$750

I worked the two painting above not as a set but together. Often when I am painting smaller works I like to do two or more together because I can use the same palette on them. Before my solo show at Gallery Main in Trinidad, Colorado. I had bought a lot of stretcher bars including several to do a triptych. Time and energy curtained that plan. So after the solo exhibit at the gallery I had stretcher bars and canvas left and repurposed them into at least two vertical paintings.

Most paintings sold are horizontal but with houses having more windows and less wall space tall narrow paintings have become quite popular as they fit in spaces between windows and by doors and in halls. They are a composition challenge, however.

Skies painted

I worked these two together from the very beginning so they would be able to be hung side by side should the collector so decide. Even the basic drawings were done to compliment. The path is a visionary view of Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico with the mission church in the background, and The Way is the two "towered" Spider Woman pinnacles at Canyon de Chelle in Arizona. The stairway on the path echos the canyon in The Way.

Putting in the Shadows

I will admit to relatively slow progress working on these two pieces. Maybe because of the flurry in which I worked before my solo show it was nice to relax on these two. But I admit to a lot of staring at the work and waiting for guidance on how to proceed. Not to sound too airy fairy but I believe the muse was with me.

Adding the canyon walls

I wanted the walls of the canyon in The Way to resemble the walls of the pueblo in The Path. Both were walls to my way of seeing it. Visionary or illusionary schools of art are a lot about how the artist sees it.

Nearing completion

Once the major blocks of color were in place it was time to consider the two works separately. And be sure each was a complete composition within itself while carrying over the lessor colors into both paintings.

The Path and the Way Together
Very nearly done

As you can see from the almost done photograph of the two above they will look very good hung together or near each other. But they are two separate pieces of art. This Thursday will be their first public debut in Angel Fire, New Mexico at the Visitor's Center. Visit Binford-Bell Studio in Black Lake or on FaceBook for how you can acquire one or both of these pieces.