Look at your backside

Mike McCarty · 09-11-2008, 11:51 AM

This is a charcoal done on the back of a primed linen stretched canvas. I had this nice canvas that I had started for a client that I ultimately got stiffed on. One of those rush jobs that I started before getting the deposit. So I thought I'd put it to use. I wanted to do something for my new son-in-law and would need to get it from Florida to the mid-west. So, I think I can take some rigid board of some kind and nail it to both sides of the frame - the actual surface being recessed in 3/4" as you can see in the hand detail.

It's a pretty gruff surface so you can't get too wrapped up in the detail. The shirt took a lot of scrubbing to get the surface saturated. I also used some pastel chalk for the darkest parts. Anyway, I like the look of the raw linen. The face of the guitar is mostly left alone.

I think you could just take the canvas off the frame and then reverse it, this would be one approach. This would leave a funky kind of edge like the one around hand detail. The canvas is 22x28, but the image had to be well within that. Or, you could re-frame it with the actual image size as I have it shown here. I suppose it's going to have to be fixed either way, which I am always reluctant to do.

A lot of conceptualization going on here. I don't think it's ready for the Louvre, but it kept me out of the bars and brothels for a while. Well, mostly.

Enzie Shahmiri · 09-16-2008, 12:47 PM

LOL - Mike this is very creative! What a great way to use up old stuff to experiment on! I haven't seen a painting post by you in a very long time, so it's nice to see s.th. new.

If I missed a painting, please direct me there - I would love to have a look!

Mike McCarty · 09-16-2008, 08:23 PM

I've been out chasing rabbits. Haven't done much painting lately.

I've worked on this a little more. The strings and the frets are a real bugger. They look blue in the images, and more pronounced than they do in person. There's no way I can make them as symetrical as they are so I figured it would be best not to even presume to do so. I think I'll try an dull them down some more. They were done with a piece of grey chalk.