Spring 1999
"Sofa paintings"

It rained Kool-Aid was another painting in the series of "sofa paintings" that followed the success of the 'Midnight Rose' triptych (see 'Midnight Rose' in the Paintings page). It was done in oils over a canvas wrapped wood panel form -3 ft. by 4 ft. by 4 inches thick (.91m x 1.22m x 1.57cm). The design carried over the sides since the piece was not intended for framing, but designed to be attached directly unto a wall.

The composition consisted of a yellow rose and a bud. The difference between this design compared to other paintings in the series -aside from its color, is that the petals were covered with drops of a clear rose-tinted liquid. And since this liquid looked like the popular drink 'Kool-Aid' I remembered from my childhood, the naming of the piece was conceived. It was catchy and sounded better than "flower painting No. 6".

These types of paintings are a lot of fun to paint. The painting process was routine but you had to work on the composition to keep it fresh. The concept was to select a particular flower -in this case a rose, and simplify the arrangement of the flower in a way that heighten the interesting forms created by the petals. And then, you eliminated anything that would take away from the focal point. Consequently, thorns were gone and the leaves barely indicated, included mainly to visually tie in the composition.

Each flower painting had a very different look, not only because of their unique compositional arrangement, but because I experimented a bit with painting techniques and coloring. Since they were painted for the sole purpose of generating revenue through sales, as opposed to having been commissioned, I was free to follow my own whims and take my time. However, other than the challenge of finding the right composition, the painting part was fairly easy and fast. Most were usually done in three or four sittings, with a waiting period in between to allow time for the paint to dry. For a detail explanation of my painting process from start to finish, see "A flower" in the Paintings page.

I provide more description for the "sofa paintings" series in the "Midnight Rose" page. So I will omit any further comments so you can go and check that one out. Professional artists are in the business of selling -that's the "professional" part. So you find a need in the market and supply a product to satisfy that need. If you live in an area where new homes are being built, chances are someone will be looking for a painting to go above the sofa. See the genius of my reasoning? So, in between commissions, this was a way to keep busy and productive.

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