– 31 March, 2015 –
This takes its title from the day it was completed. I started working on it 27th February and continued every day until the 31st March 2015. Once part III was roughly how I wanted it to be I started work on Part I. Once that part was most of the way there, I started on II and then worked on all three parts simultaneously. All three images have a bit of me in there somewhere.
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I
II
III
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Ashley Lily Scarlett and I have started a new blog called Between Scarlett and Guest. It’s a dialogue in pictures. You can read/ eavesdrop on the conversation here.
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To read about my visit with David Cook to the recent Richard Serra exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery, click here.
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The Future Is Papier Mâché 
…this is so beautiful, Richard…traces of you…
Thanks so much, Kari!
Good morning and believe number 1 is my favorite. “The monster in me” comes out, jagged and hungry.
Afternoon. Yes, quite. Glad you like it, Barry.
Gorgeous work.
Thanks very much, Johanna – much appreciated.
It is quite an overwhelming triptique (no idea how a three piece painting is called in english 😉 ) You open up a lot of layers over layers over layers in structure, and emotions. Great work, intriguing work. It is a wonderful combination of ‘painting’ and photography. That is called ‘mixed work’ isn t it? No mixed feelings here! Beautiful to observe and see your craft in it.
Hi Chris, yes mixed media I guess you could call it (although in this case it’s all photography and digital manipulation really). Thanks so much – really do appreciate your words.
WoW, how does that work? Pshop? It creates so much fantasy and associations. Much more layers than in a picture. You are a crafty bugger!! 😉
It’s quite intensive work in Photoshop, but still quite intuitive. I use fairly few effects (because I think they are easy to spot, and I don’t like the look of most of them) and a lot of layering (the files are massive). Ha, ha, thanks!
See! Layers!!
Ha, ha!
Fascinating… Great art work!
Thanks very much, Malin!
Nice work, beautifully done. It looks like you are into painting as well.
Thanks very much, Nina. Much appreciated. Yes, in this case digital painting.
Brilliant! Love these. They look great together.
Thanks very much, Emily. I only brought them together once they were individually finished, so it was a surprise to me.
Hi Ricky! I am sorry I have been so absent recently 💜🌞. But I just wanted to comment here – the first thing these portraits tells me is that you are a good listener, I would say sensitive (yet we already know that from all your works!) These works have so much depth of feeling! There is a wee sticker/ stamp in the second one which looks to me like a laughing man, which it may not be but is my residing
Great self portrait study,live the idea of three,make me think of the many sides of Richard,also what you used for all of them,great work
Thanks very much, Sheldon.
This is outstanding, Richard, all three pieces individually and as a triptych.
I can’t find you in the middle one and it’s driving me nuts. Perhaps I’m just too distracted by that beautiful cherry, which, by the way, is an unexpected delight.
Thanks so much, Ashley. Sorry about the middle one – there’s probably only a bit of skin tone in it. Yes, I felt very happy coming across that cherry – it was surprisingly well preserved sitting on the pavement and it was just what I needed at the time (same with the luggage tag in III).
The cherry makes up for everything and anything. 🙂
Great work.
Thanks very much, Lee – I take that as a great compliment.
I really dig this series, Richard. Haunting. Dreamy, too. They’re like puzzles. Back to studying the second work . . .
Theadora
Really glad you like it, T. That’s an interesting way of looking at them, and not so wide of how I put them together. They’re not exactly coherent, but they do contain symbols (the feathers and the cherry have definite meanings for me, the luggage tag in the third less so), that hint at subjects in each panel. Thanks very much!
Love it.
Thanks very much, Erassima! Really glad you like it.
Hi Ricky! I am sorry I have been so absent recently 💜🌞. But I just wanted to comment here – the first thing these portraits tells me is that you are a good listener, I would say sensitive (yet we already know that from all your works!) There is a small stamp in the second one that looks like a laughing man, which it may not be but that is the sneaking impression I am left with. There is so much feeling in all three, your profile is beautiful, and i wonder if you are going on a trip soon? The luggage tag is inviting you! xo
Oh, now I see where my first attempt at comment went to … I thought it was a magic trick! Hehehe!!!☺️☺️☺️
🙂 Something else I wish I could do.
Hehehe!☺️
Hi Gigi! thanks for all the lovely compliments. Yes, it does look like a laughing man – it’s part of a Hazchem sticker off the back of a tanker (carrying I know not what) – those swirly marks are fingermarks in the muck. I wish I was going on a trip, but not for the moment. Hope you had a good break!
Reminds me of Francis Bacons’ triptych’s.
Thanks very much, Jeff – very happy to do so. He was unique as a painter, and kind of opened the door to Modernism for me as a teenager.
I imagine there’s more than a bit of you in each;) Marvelous, separately and as a triptych.
Ha ha, yes (somewhat). Thanks so much, Elena.
Reblogged this on rebloggobbler.
Thanks very much, Douglas!
Lovely. Absolutely captivating as a triptych. Thank you for sharing pieces of yourself…you should do this more often! I am absolutely enthralled by your blossoming style.
Thanks so much, Billimarie! That’s really nice to read. It was quite an interesting process – much more deliberate than some of the other digital paintings.
I can´t stop looking at these ones, Richard. They have a mysterious depth.
That’s really nice to hear, Laura – thanks very much!
I love the form as it emerges from transparent layering.
Thanks very much, Elaine. Really glad you like it. Much appreciated.
Great work. I love that first presentation with all the photos lined up next to each other.
Thanks very much, Cardinal. Yes, that’s how it’s supposed to be seen really (as a single image) – the individual shots are just to see the detail really.
Very intense! They seem like a code that I’m trying to decipher..And I’m kind of imagining now that you have huge long teeth..!
Ha, ha, yes! They are kind of coded – certain elements are there for a reason. Ha, that’s the funniest interpretation yet, and coincidentally my nickname at school was Goofy. All straightened out now though…
All good but the first is superb
Thanks so much, Leon. That was the one I spent the most time on, I think.
Well Richard, what to say, apart from so beautifully balanced and exciting to see this great work up front – I want to take it out of the screen. Fabulous!
That’s lovely to read – thanks so much, Patti!
Super!…
Thanks very much, Dave!
Richard, each piece is so beautiful, and together they sing. I love them presented like this. they would look stunning framed and on a gallery wall – and you already have a price tag! 😉
Thanks so much, Karen. Ha, ha, yes!
Though I am following you, these posts aren’t appearing in my email. Just found a gold mine of images. So sorry to have missed them. Another great series here!
Yes, it’s odd – people’s blogs seem to come and go from my email account too. Thanks very much, Ellen!