Update on my Support Beam Residency
What Has Been Going On in my World
This week has been long! And with a long work week I feel like I didn’t meet the goals I had for this painting. I made a pretty ambitious goal: Finish my support beam painting by today, Sunday 11/29/2020. At first I was disappointed with myself, but with some soul searching I’ve come to peace with my ambitious goal, and am aiming to complete this piece by Tuesday/Wednesday. That should give me enough time to take it to PushDot Studio for rush captures, and back in my hands for drop off at the Regional Arts and Cultural Center by next Monday. Very tight timeline.
As you may know if you read my last blog post, I am currently working with Multnomah County as a program technician - assisting families impacted by COVID-19 with their energy and heating bills. This week was a peculiar week, one where I constantly had to validate my existence to the people I was trying to serve. So many clients didn’t believe who I was, which made it harder to help them. I became used to forwarding them over to the Multco reception desk or our main energy email to validate I was indeed who I am, there to help, and not a scammer. Aside from that, I had a few clients that have been utterly traumatized by COVID-19. One young man couldn’t concentrate on his call with me, was hyperventilating, and ultimately hung up. I did my best to separate and null my feelings from what I was experiencing at work this week and not taking it personally, but it was hard. Validating my existence as a Black woman this week was challenging, more so than any other time I’ve had to let someone know I was in the room and had feelings/dreams/etc too. And by no way am I not understanding as to why there is mistrust when I reach out - It’s just sad that so many in our community are mistrustful and or have been harmed or scammed in the past.
Day 3 - Just Paint
After work I would go home and could not concentrate on my painting. I didn’t have a break through until last night - I just needed to paint. If I didn’t, and let me work week or intimidation of the piece continue to get me, I would never finish it. By this morning I had a plan with moving forward on the painting - I would finish outlining the rocks and then make a basecoat of solid colors for different parts of the background. I was most intimidated by how much rock was in the painting.
11/24/2020 - I painted the sky and started outlining the rock faces.
Once I got to this point in the painting (above), I felt like I would be most comfortable with it if I got at least half of the background done. So, all day I spent painting, aside from taking a couple of breaks for lunch, an afternoon walk, and dinner.
11/29/2020 - I finished painting in the rockface of the waterfall.
11/29/2020 - Painting after finishing the left side of the background.
Aside from paintings I do of the ocean, I haven’t attempted many waterfalls, so this was both fun and challenging. Once I added in the greenery of the shrugs and grass peaking up from the rocks, I was in love. I feel like my progress has begun to produce fruit!
As I look at the piece, I think I’ll go back in and blend a touch more grey into the stones and silver to make them reflect a bit. Once I am done with that I’ll work towards completing the entire background tomorrow night. That way on Tuesday I can focus entirely on my muse’s portrait!
Some Techniques
I am in love with the way the waterfall came out. In order to get the bubbling of the water, I took my blue muddy white and pooled it in water on the palette. From there I took a medium sized brush and put it in my water jar before coating the brush in the watered down white/blue mixture. Then with my finger I flicked the brush onto the painting where the falls created jumps in the water. I should’ve took an up close photo!
My Music Playlist
I listen to all different types of music, but this is what I listened to in this particular week:
Practice by DaBaby
Moonwalking in Calabasas (feat. Blueface) - remix by DDG
Said Sum by Moneybagg Yo
Laugh Now Cry Later (feat. Lil Durk) by Drake
Iced Out Audemars (feat. Lil Wayne) by Pop Smoke
YUUUU by Busta Rhymes, Anderson .Pakk
Floating (feat. 21 Savage) by ScHoolboy Q
For the Night (feat. Lil Baby & DaBaby) by Pop Smoke
That’s Tuff (feat. Quavo) by Rich The Kid
Final Thoughts
I am charged up and look forward to next week. I might be behind on my original goal with this painting, but I feel confident on finishing it by Tuesday evening. I am excited for what it will come out as when finished. Stay tuned!