Wukoki is a smaller but noble ruin a bit southeast of the main Wupatki ruin in the Wupatki
National Monument park near Flagstaff, Arizona. I've chosen it for this painting from an
inspirational point of view only. This is not an interpretive painting, nor reconstructive, like
the Wupatki Sunrise painting. This will be a slightly more visionary project, subjective, more how I
feel about the place than what I see. I'm doing this painting simultaneous to "Fall Arrives
at the North Rim," as therapy. The Grand Canyon painting is very disciplined, I am forced
to paint "within the lines," as I must represent an identifiable place. But in this picture I am
free of these restraints, allowing far more emotion and freedom of expression.
First picture 10/30/03... this assignment begins
Here is a photograph of the Wukoki ruin today, with modern public trails, etc.
I'm going to focus this painting just below the portal at the left portion of this scene.
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On a prepared 12" x 18" panel, with no reference drawing, I've begun to block in portions of the ruin walls. I envision this to be a moonlit scene so I started with a dark blue/black background, allowed to dry. Then I painted in these masonry features. |
10/31/03...
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Today I continued to experiment with "cosmic" ideas regarding this composition. I sketched in an elder's face connected to the existing rock formation and I've indicated a possible earth and moon in space in the void of the lower half of the picture. I'll live with this for a few days and see if I want to keep it.
It's a process of discovery. |
11/08/03...
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I've decided to pursue this composition and keep the "face" in place. I may paint it as a rock formation like my "mullein" painting or I may humanize it, I don't know yet. I've remodeled the rocks in the lower right and I've painted in some of the mortar in the masonry walls. It's still very exploratory. |
11/09/03...
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Today I took a leap of faith and modeled a basic face in a new color. This will serve as a guide for later. I've decided that the image will have more mystery if I paint it into the rock texture, at least I get more comments from people when I do this.
This needs to dry and then I'll add yet another symbolic element to the composition. It remains spontaneous as I reflect upon what I've done so far and subjectively consider my feelings about all ancient ruins in this vicinity. To me they all have a "presence," a consciousness left over from the past. On occasion one can feel as if they are trespassing and being watched. It's some of this timelessness I'm seeking to capture. |
11/13/03...
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After much contemplation I've decided to add a Sacred Datura "locoweed" flower. These native plants are abundant at Wupatki and I'm sure it had great meaning to the people who lived at this pueblo as it is hallucinogenic. Artistically, this element adds a new texture and color set to the picture which I like. It is also transitional between the "solid rock world" of the ruin and the "etheric and timeless world" of the universe. I feel that it is a good addition and that it rounds out the layout and the idea.
I've painted in silhouettes in color lighter than I'll finally use, simply as blockout or undercolor. This needs to dry and then I add modeling. The real texture and character of this painting now begins. |
12/09/03...
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During the drying time of the last session I decided that the face color was too bright and too yellow, not stone-like. This became more apparent as I did more work on the masonry work above. So in this ession I painted the face down into lower values. I reworked the datura leaves, adding more and developing a more bush-like look.
There are hours of wark on the stones in the wall but in these small photos it just doesn't show. I'll have to do a close up later. This remains my favorite way to paint, trial and error, and discovery as I go. The Aspen Grove Study was done this way. |
03/18/04.... back to work on this painting.
(I have been preoccupied finishing the four panel Grand Canyon painting. But it is now finished.)
Reflecting on this project after being away from it for a while I realize that I'm not comfortable leaving the face in the rock
in the same color as the sandstone masonry. It is typical around Wupatki National Monument to find red stone walls on
top of huge basalt escarpments. Often, as well, I'll find rock art carved into these volcanic stones, which is incredible when
you realize how hard this rock is, it is nearly impossible to peck an impression into. The photos above illustrate these ideas.
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So, as I sat down to work on this today the first thing I did was to repaint the stone face in a dark basalt color for future modeling. I added final texture to the upper masonry wall that forms an arch. Then I painted in the next layer of color on the planet earth form. This remains a personal process of discovery, as this painting is simply about my subjective feelings about this place. |
04/13/04...
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Here's a close up picture of some of the area I'm presently working on. |
05/31/04...
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I did quite a few things during this painting session.
First. I added a highlight value to the left facing masonry in the vertical wall above. Then I added a glaze of transparent black over the entire ruin area, toning it down and adding many needed cast shadows. It also creates a nice night glow on the stones in shadow. I painted some new texture and light on the earth and the moon, bringing them more into reality in appearance. And, once again, I remodeled the stone face features. What I'm seeking is within me and I have no photo reference to refer to, just my expectations of a basalt texture with the light creating a face. It's an artistic search. Fortunately I have only myself to please. A client would think me fickle. |
06/02/04...
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In this session I obviously added a new layer of color to the Sacred Datura flower and leaves, bringing it closer to its actual color. I continued a little modeling on the planet earth as well as some work on the stone face. |
06/03/04...
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In this session I added the first color that represents the light on the stone face and I blocked in the first layer of color on the flower blossom. |
06/08/04...
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In this session I touched up the highlights on the stone face, added detail to the leaves and worked on the shadows on the planets and the void of space. Some more work on the flower is required. |
06/19/04...
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For the artistically curious:
Here's a close up photo of the cheek area of the basalt stone face. It shows you how I've added in much texture and several actual petroglyphs from this area. |
07/06/04...
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The Finished Painting:
I've done some small touch ups throughout the painting including finishing the flower, adding highlights to the tips of the leaves and as an intuitive afterthought I painted in the Orion constellation in the stars. A very cosmic ending of this visionary piece that I carved out of the void. What a great way to paint! |
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