Avoiding Chaos Causes Chaos
Sirens entangle the weak-spirited with their Medusa-like hair, dragging them into the depths with the flutter of their tail's petals and the complicity of sea monsters.
...for calm seas do not make skilled sailors, but frail ones. And the sea only hardens those who overcome its charms. Sirens are not a threat, but a condition for learning, penalized by the privilege of docility.
A good sailor steers his destiny with the strength not to flinch at convenience. He knows that surviving is more important than succeeding. Because prosperity doesn't come from peace, but from the freedom to live a life tingling with adventure.
Pictorial Process
Composition
Leonard Cohen said there are cracks in everything; that's how the light gets in. I conceived this work as a crack in the depths because only in this way can light be appreciated in all its glory. Thus, the design of the composition accentuates the dramatic effect, swiftly transitioning from maximum light to maximum darkness.
The framework of the composition is based on an asymmetric star with golden ratios, traversed by a diagonal that divides it into two large wedges of light and shadow. This actually allowed me to create a stable—and simultaneously cyclic—composition where the eye moves from the most intense light to the deepest darkness. In this way, the viewer experiences the same fate as a sailor dragged into the depths.
Painting
Well, this work has been painted with a reduced and very unconventional palette. Titanium White, Burnt Sienna, Prussian Blue, and Phthalo Turquoise. The tail also incorporates slight touches of Indian Yellow and Alizarin Red.
Initially, the work was painted without a prior drawing and with the sole aid of the composition's layout. For that reason, very large brushes were used. Thus, a very basic scheme of light and shadow was established, and elements were added on top. Some changes in the position of the figures were made without affecting the ensemble, as it was anchored on a solid pattern of light and shadow.
Finally, I applied some warm glazes and touches to enhance the modeling of the form.
As can be seen in the sequence, the process started from a hazy indefiniteness that gradually took shape. The approach wasn't about retouching but about cumulative construction. You see, I don't like making decisions out of fear of making mistakes. I make decisions encouraged by freedom and the expectation of success. So I don't correct the error, but I overshadow it with a certainty that prevails.
