Tim McFarlane and remembering painting.

I had the pleasure of meeting Tim McFarlane at a party this weekend, a Philadelphia painter whose name I recognized in the art world here. I looked up his work online and realized that I have seen images of it here and there, though have never seen it in person, and the images have really stuck in my mind. I love this guy's paintings. I love the shimmery layers of colors, and the repetitive shapes and patterns.

This has me thinking about painting again. Did you know I was a painter for 10 years before I started doing all the sculptural stuff I am doing now? The prints and collages in my wondercabinet shop are recent forays back into the world of the two-dimensional. But once, I lived and breathed oil paint. I didn't paint like Tim McFarlane. I painted like this:

...but that's not even a great representation of the way I used to paint, because, as you can see, it's a painting of a sculpture. And it's the last oil painting I did before I started being a sculptor. So when I look at this painting, I see something desperately trying to be 3D and leap right off the canvas. Here's an even earlier painting, which to me is really much more about painting:

I think that at some point I will go back to painting again, when I am good and ready to dive into that realm for a few years. I think it's a long way off. In the meantime, I will have to be content to miss the paint and the smell of it and the act of placing mark after mark of color on a canvas. Thanks to McFarlane for reminding me what a satisfying, quieting, immersive and sometimes maddening activity that is.

I leave you now with another McFarlane knockout. You may find him at the Bridgette Meyer Gallery.

Comments

[Eva]

Woot! It was so good to meet you, and chat. I hope you're feeling better.

That last one is called "All that could be" and it's about our relationship - so romantic, no?

My favourite is Pass (http://www.mayerartconsultants.com/artist_mcfarlane4.htm), though I'm not sure what it's doing on the gallery site since it's my wedding present.