I'm pretty excited about this new painting. I've always had an affinity for the long, narrative format, and I'm going to indulge myself with this one and three others that are waiting in the wings.
This scene is especially interesting to me as a painter because it tells more than one story. The vertical posts in the restaurant separate the picture plane into three distinct areas, and each one has its own point of interest. On the left is a young woman wearing a white jacket or blouse, brightly lit; the center portion features a chef in a toque and jacket, who seems to be looking directly at the viewer, and the third section has a young man profiled in a chair, looking calm and relaxed.
Chef, © 2015
I've tried a small painting and a pastel pencil drawing of the man in the chair, because the colors are so seductive, but neither one turned out very well. I'm hoping for better results with this painting. The color palette is limited: ochres, old rose, browns and greens, and I want to create a hazy, soft-edged atmosphere. Right now you're seeing the initial layer of paint, which goes on with overlapping strokes, but those will be evened out over time. Think about the last time you painted a wall: that first coat looked really uneven when it dried, but the second coat did the job. Same thing here.
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