2020-06-01_The_Artists_Magazine

ArtistsNetwork.com 47

9 Soonenough,thehairstylerevertedtoitsoriginalform,
andthebackgroundacquiredsomekindofarchway.Further
glazessoftenedthefigure,creatinga greatersenseofveiling.
Then,almostmagically,theimagestartedtoresolve.

10 Thebackgroundnoisequieteddown,anda newdelicacy
appearedinthedrawing.Yellowsbegantoarrive,cooland
lemonyonthefigure’sclothingandrichlywarmfarintothe
background.A gray-bluehoveredinthesky.“Atthispoint
thepaletteshowedup,”saysKordic.“Icouldrefinethecolor
choicesandthepartsoftheimagespelledoutwherethose
yellowsareimportant.AtthisstageI feelI cancalmdown.
I seethestory,andI knowwhattoletgo.I canquittrying
thesecrazythings.It’sa pointofbalance.”

11 Thefinishedpainting, Stillpoint, has a dreamy calm with

colorthatsuggestsa kind of nostalgia, almost like some

Edwardianbookillustration. The veils of glazes and the

softsmileofthemodel add some mystery to the image,

a feelingreinforced by the almost ritualistic way the model

holdsa branchdown to the ground. The vestiges of dramatic

paint-handlingremain visible, contributing space and depth

aswellasa recordof the artist’s struggles. In the new calm

ofthepainting,they feel like something of an aftermath.

“Iguessthepainting has an otherworldly feel,” says Kordic.

“Theopaqueglazing tends to do that. I don’t know why I’m so

drawntothat.There’s something in my creative language that

compelsmetotake it up. Perhaps I feel that we are living in

a veiledworld.”

9

10

Stillpoint

oil on cradled birch

plywood, 48x36

More Online! Read Kordic’s advice on how to use reference material at artistsnetwork.com/go/resource-tips.