Rib Steak, 12" x 9", oil on canvas
With the larger subject matter, the smaller panels wouldn't be enough. I wanted to see how these still lifes, this approach to painting, would translate to a larger piece, albeit still modest in size. And, as I tackle other much larger paintings, I wanted to try out these still lifes on canvas. It was and is somewhat different. I am unabashedly pleased. In the flesh, so to speak, the reds in the painting are more diverse - there's more brown, more magenta, more spice. It is meat.
The first pitch didn't go as well. I swung harder and only managed to make something I would describe as "competent." Until the wee hours I pounded on it. It does make an interesting pairing with the one above.
There's a special charm in painting a slab of beef while your stomach is rumbling like an Oklahoma thunderstorm. I don't know if it "informs" the paintings (that would be art speak), but it kept my hand moving. The solution is to give the steak enough time to ripen to its full sulfurous glory. But you'll still be hungry.