In contemplating my next piece, I pay homage to Henri Toulouse Lautrec, probably one of my favorite artistic influences. I'm studying his compositions, and noticed in the beach scene reference I am working with now, the similarities in composition are evident. Lautrec was a dwarf (the photograph at the top is a mirrored image for fun-he never seemed to take himself very seriously) and it only now occurs to me his stature must have greatly influenced his viewpoint, which are generally overwhelming. His compositional strategy reminds me of someone swinging a weighted bucket on a bungee chord, which puts viewer within inches of striking distance of the framed action. They literally spill onto our present day reality. I think he must have loved the total scene enveloping him as he spent time at the Moulin Rouge.
I will wait to display the photo reference and my attempt at a finished piece, but I love being a part of "the action", watching people and letting their noisy colors and conversation invade the picture space. I have to take a break from sketching to go somewhere, and so I'm taking those few minutes waiting for my ride to study Lautrec. We'll see how good a student I can be!
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