Linked Blocks #1 is related to 100 Buttons

Other than its relationship to a drawing of a Very Famous Shoe Designer's covered button shoe, the real story of 100 Buttons is the way in which it seemed to take forever to paint.  Tracing the U.S. and French coins, painting the Winsor Newton Davy's Gray outlines of the coins and of the centers of each button (two circles for each button), layering in the button colors, painting in the "threads" two or three times, painting an outline for each button and center, and then stopping to count. When I was certain that I was half finished, I found that I had painted far more than 100 buttons, and that I certainly was nowhere close to being finished.

The story of the formerly nameless traveling nano is grows more like 100 Buttons every day.  I drew the nameless shapes, painted both the shapes and the little links that connected them with Winsor Newton Davy's Gray, painted the colors into the shapes, outlined each of the shapes with Daniel Smith Deep Sap Green, and painted colors into the links between each of the shapes. For the two days that I worked on the little links, I thought that they would perform their linking function without an outline between the between each shape. Although I haven't (and won't) count each shape, it is clear to me that each of the little links needs an outline.  And yes, there are far more little links than there are "big" shapes.

This is quintessential Painstaking Exuberance.  Gotta outline. Gotta get to work.

Nameless traveling nano: Day 12

The nameless nanoscape's shapes are becoming clearer and more interesting. At first glance, they seem very much alike, but as I continue, I find that they are quite different from one another...Much like people -- and in a good way...
I am using a Daniel Smith Autograph Series 44 Kolinsky Round #1 brush and Daniel Smith's Deep Sap Green for outlining.

Nameless traveling nano: Day 11

One of the pleasures of creating nanoscapes is endless surprise at what the shapes do with (and to) one another. The Wild Triangles of the Fractured Glass Family (FG 1,2,3, & Fractured Glass Bubbles) had boundless energy that became apparent as I added more and more color, and then began outlining each shape.

As the nameless nano's shapes began to cover the paper, first with pencil, then Davy's Gray and finally, with colors, they asked me "What are we? Leaves? Printed Circuits? Paper cutouts? Hawaiian Quilts? Molecules? Cast-off movie tickets?"  No answer yet...

Late yesterday, I began to outline some shapes in the lower left corner,  and started to paint in some of the links. As always, that defining step changed the character and the motion of the piece....

     

Earlier in the day, when I finished painting all of the shapes, I was very tempted to stop -- or at least to paint the outline for each shape, and then to stop.  Not possible, though, because the Davy's Gray connecting pieces are already painted in.

I am really fond of these shapes, and I see (hear) their potential.  I know that I will revisit them in a much much larger painting.