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Artwork (Traditional) / All
Species Coyote
Size 797 x 1211
File Size 564.9 kB
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Avenues of light to guide us home.
So this painting actually has a bit of a story.
The first day I moved into my new place almost a year ago exactly, I started painting this coyote. It was to be the First Painting in the New House. I got mostly done but back then he had nothing around his neck, so it looked jarringly empty and I sketched out a dozen things and none of them fit. They all felt wrong. The whole coyote felt wrong and he just kept staring at me and freaking me out, and I knew that I couldn't finish him then.
So I aborted him, and stuffed him in a corner, revisiting him once a month or every other month in attempts to figure out how to conclude him, and endlessly unable to do so. He just stared at me the entire year. At one point I even wanted to just repaint his eyes gold like a proper coyote to stop that piercing stare but I couldn't because it had grown to become him.
ANYWAY. Last night in some sleep-deprived daze I suddenly realized how he had to be finished and so here he is. If I did more drugs I would probably understand the spiritual implications I like to pretend it has, but in all honesty I guess it just goes to show that you can spend a whole year and never really feel like you've changed at all, but you have. The world has drawn from you and you have drawn from the world and we are all connected in the Great Circle of Coyotaciousity. Or something.
EDIT: As spoken by my physicist brother, "Everyone is, if you just rearrange the atoms, basically a coyote".
So this painting actually has a bit of a story.
The first day I moved into my new place almost a year ago exactly, I started painting this coyote. It was to be the First Painting in the New House. I got mostly done but back then he had nothing around his neck, so it looked jarringly empty and I sketched out a dozen things and none of them fit. They all felt wrong. The whole coyote felt wrong and he just kept staring at me and freaking me out, and I knew that I couldn't finish him then.
So I aborted him, and stuffed him in a corner, revisiting him once a month or every other month in attempts to figure out how to conclude him, and endlessly unable to do so. He just stared at me the entire year. At one point I even wanted to just repaint his eyes gold like a proper coyote to stop that piercing stare but I couldn't because it had grown to become him.
ANYWAY. Last night in some sleep-deprived daze I suddenly realized how he had to be finished and so here he is. If I did more drugs I would probably understand the spiritual implications I like to pretend it has, but in all honesty I guess it just goes to show that you can spend a whole year and never really feel like you've changed at all, but you have. The world has drawn from you and you have drawn from the world and we are all connected in the Great Circle of Coyotaciousity. Or something.
EDIT: As spoken by my physicist brother, "Everyone is, if you just rearrange the atoms, basically a coyote".
Category Artwork (Traditional) / All
Species Coyote
Size 797 x 1211px
File Size 564.9 kB
That is actually a really interesting story in the description, thanks for sharing!
I always wonder how artists overcome halts planted in the way of their work progress; in terms of what direction to take a piece in.
Makes me wonder how many other unfinished pieces you have laying around that you're not quite sure how to finish...
On a side note, this picture came out wonderful, amazing job!
I always wonder how artists overcome halts planted in the way of their work progress; in terms of what direction to take a piece in.
Makes me wonder how many other unfinished pieces you have laying around that you're not quite sure how to finish...
On a side note, this picture came out wonderful, amazing job!
I usually have a small handful of pictures sketched out or in various stages of paintedness that I either got bored of or stuck on. Sometimes it's best just to put it aside, and then come back to it later afresh rather then force it to conclusion. Of course this doesn't work so well for deadlines, so those are always the worse then you run into a wall. ;]
I loved hearing the story behind this. It makes it a very special piece. Feeling like you haven't changed in a year, but really you have resonates. How you worked on it shows the respect for the piece. When something doesn't feel right, but you don't know how... I like hearing when artists and writers go through this; a connection to the work. Thank you for doing the art and telling the story.
Also, Coyotaciousity <3
Also, Coyotaciousity <3
I'm sorry, but your interpretation of this painting is incorrect. It's actually a rendition of the planetesimal impact that palaeontologists today refer to as the Koyo-Tee Event.
Sometimes I like to think you can gleam a lot from the works of an artist. Usually regarding the person behind the art. I have long been enjoying your artwork, Kenket, and have built an image up of what kind of artist YOU are. Certainly a spectacular one. Thank you for sharing your soul with us!
First.. however the inspiration hit to finish it... it's AWESOME! I love the eyes!
And, second, you're not the only one who's put stuff aside, only to return to it months later. That happened with a few of my own oils.
Once a 24x30 sat idle for 5 months. Couldn't figure out WTF was wrong with it. Then, one day I put it on the easel, and just stared at it... paint loaded with oils in the right hand... left hand scratching my head. My Dad (who was visiting that day) just letting me be, while he watched the football came.
Hearing me spout fowl language, I stormed into the house, salty as hell, grabbed a beer an back to the canvas. 5 minutes.. 10 minutes.. then suddenly "SONOFABITCH!"
It was my background... It dawned on me it was just FLAT!... 50 minutes later the entire thing was finished.
So, yep.. been there. Like my oil... THIS Coyote of yours is wonderful!
And, second, you're not the only one who's put stuff aside, only to return to it months later. That happened with a few of my own oils.
Once a 24x30 sat idle for 5 months. Couldn't figure out WTF was wrong with it. Then, one day I put it on the easel, and just stared at it... paint loaded with oils in the right hand... left hand scratching my head. My Dad (who was visiting that day) just letting me be, while he watched the football came.
Hearing me spout fowl language, I stormed into the house, salty as hell, grabbed a beer an back to the canvas. 5 minutes.. 10 minutes.. then suddenly "SONOFABITCH!"
It was my background... It dawned on me it was just FLAT!... 50 minutes later the entire thing was finished.
So, yep.. been there. Like my oil... THIS Coyote of yours is wonderful!
The first coyote was blue-eyed, y'know. He learned the trick of throwing his eyeballs from a scrub jay or possibly a skeleton, but he threw them too far away, and had to make prostheses from pine-pitch, which is why the adults have yellow eyes to this day. So maybe this is him, the First Scolder.
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