Now one of the major decisions before starting a new work is deciding what size it should be. Portraits usually find their dimensions fairly easily: the portrait of Leslie Ashworth was determined by the pose I chose: the focus needed to be shared between the centuries-old Odoardi violin and Leslie's brilliant musicality, for they are spiritually one when she plays. As Yeats said, "Who can tell the dancer from the dance?" A mid-size horizontal painting recommended itself.
Landscape is a different matter. It needs to be big enough to capture the sense of space. Until now, the biggest canvases I've worked have comprised about eight square feet. But this morning I toned a 4 foot by 3 foot canvas for a seascape I have in mind and hauled it into the studio. Occasionally these fits of madness come upon me.
Gosh it's big. That's well and good if you paint fast and in acrylic. Not so great for a slow glaze oil realist. Right now it's on its side as I painfully do the rendering in chalk. I may have to bring the stepladder in. Hope to finish sometime in this decade. I'll keep you posted.