Aztec Drum Dancer
36″ x 24″
Oil on canvas
When we lived in Mexico City I was able to visit the pre-Colombian Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. This large complex full of temples and palaces is an architectural wonder. In an arena where an unknown sport had been played they were reenacting Aztec dances. After kicking around the references for over 26 years this seemed like the perfect time to tackle the subject again. Years ago I had done a small face 7″ x 5″ multi-color block print of a dancer. An 36″ x 24″ canvas was chosen. Drawing the figure was not hard. The real conundrum was the background which was cluttered and distracting. The figure difficulty was with its look of impending and rapid movement. One foot was actually above the ground. I never trace or project any photo and only work with my own references. Capturing the dancing action was crucial in the drawing. The placement of the figure on the actual canvas was also very important. This is where the preliminary drawing is absolutely essential. Still the figure was needed to be moved once so I just turned my canvas upside down and redrew it with my oil color crayons. The drum was moved to the front of the figure and slightly behind. With an 8 inch drawing there were a lot of modifications and adjustments needed to translate the figure to a large canvas. The real struggle was with the background. The background needed to fit the location with the theme of Aztec architecture. The painting sat for several days as I thought of how to handle the background. One morning I woke up with my Eureka moment with the picture in my mind. One challenge that occurs with every painting is When Is It Finished. Especially with a moderate large painting and where there is a lot of detail in the costume. An artist could spend weeks and months perfecting each feather or parts of the loincloth. Time could be spent shading areas of the skin. This is a time when true discipline must kick in. Stop. Great two weeks not worrying about coronavirus. I am just so lucky that I have my art while we are all under House Arrest and can’t even go to lunch with our friends.
