What's On the Easel

Break is over and my two commisions are about 95% complete. These little 6x6 inch squares don't look like they take a long time but they do. The biggest challenge is to focus on the text and yet allow the visuals take part too. I really love the textural qualities of these. I hope the client likes them.

This piece has a few color layers now. Glazes are so beautiful and rich. I love the way they shimmer with color and allow the under layers to show through. This work will likely be darker around the edges so that the interior glows.

What's On the Easel

AC - Step three. Add the Image and the quote. These look really beautiful together. The hardest one is the Gardenia. White is always hard but this is getting there. Next comes some tweaks. Additions of elements that compliment what I have, lead the viewers eye and adds polish.

JS: Step 3 - another glaze layer. The final colors will not be established until I am pretty happy with the values. For now the layers will remain neutral. Sheer color will be added to the top along with opaque highlights and darks if needed.

What's On the Easel

Step 2.

These now have two layers of glaze colors. In order, Gardenia, Black Eyed Susan, Lilac. The images and quotes will go on after 4-8 layers of glazed color.

Step 2:
One layer of glazed color to set the drawing and begin the development of 3/D value. I used a polymer medium mixed with gold metallic. This layer mixed a bit with the graphite giving it a rich painterly texture. While this layer was still setting up I used alcohol to rub out and lift light areas. Symbolism: There are 5 objects lined up across the bottom. 4 candles and 1 vase with the Mayflowers. May is the 5th month and the Mayflower has 5 petals. Pretty neat huh! more later.

What's On the Easel

 Seems it's really hard to post with a full time job commitment! This week - April break, and I have two commissions to complete!
One is a series based on my "Quote Series" I'm very excited about this because it will be the first time I get to integrate my quote series idea with the concept of the client. This client wants three! This very cool idea combines three favorite flora with three lines in the Lennon "Imagine" The three flowers are gardenia, lilac and, black eyed susan. All three are 6x6 and the text will be a focus. Color will be decided based on the flowers. I decided to actually purchase a gardenia since I have never seen one in real life. WOW! The smell was intoxicating and I will definitely recall that while I create this piece. Gardenias are kind of flat and very open flowers. The white creamy petals almost don't look real. I wore my gardenia corsage to school on the last day prior to break. It reminded me all day about my commission. Step one - gesso then a textural coat of heavy body titanium white. Each one got a different treatment. More later.

 

 

The next commission is for a wedding in May. The painting will have a musical theme and a symbolic mayflower for the month in which they will marry. I love the still shots the client sent me for the composition. I think the interaction of the objects and the symbolic flowers will set up a quite dynamic. During my research I found out that mayflowers are considered endangered! Who knew. I plan on walking down back this week to look for pine tree that are growing near sandy, rocky soil because apparently mayflowers love that. More later.

rough compositional sketch

the Sketchbook Project 2011

the Sketchbook Project 2011, a set on Flickr.

going to see the Sketchbook Project Tomorrow! YaaaaaaaY!

Just Dessert Chapter 3

This process took me four tries! Oh what you learn when you try something new! I had to dissolve one image OFF the skin due to lack of ink in spots. I also lost a great image due to incompatible mediums - the whole image crackled when I tried to seal it with matte medium! The results were cool but not usable for this!

NOTE TO SELF: using digital ground is NOT a basic technique!

This stage is all about composing. Only two of these elements are staying right now, the image and the quote. The rest are just possible options. My aim is to make the piece look visually yummy. This exhibition is about desserts so I want a piece that makes you feel like you do when you see a beautiful frosted cake or some other confection.

The close up shots show how beautiful the mixed gels and mediums take the acrylic colors and create a textured and varied surface.

The author of the quote was one of the very first gastronomical writers. He wrote about the aesthetics of eating food with all senses. When you read any of the contemporary books on Acrylics they often speak in terms of food. Words like luscious, viscus, stringy or creamy are often used when describing acrylic mediums. My goal on this piece is to accentuate that idea.

I really love watching some of the more creative food channel shows. I think because they are a lot like painting!

One of my favorites is "The Best Thing I Ever Ate"

Just Dessert Chapter 2

Usually I use digital images in my "Quote Series." I have been using photo paper as a collage element but wanted to try the new digital ground for non porous surfaces by Golden.

The first step is to make a skin and I have done that many times before only THIS time I decided to use a cool new product mixed in with the skin by Tri-Art called Liquid Mirror. BIG mistake. Although liquid mirror is acrylic paint it sticks like crazy...much more than regular acrylic paint. The mixture would not pull off of my acrylic release board at all! I had to scrape it off with a putty knife! I will likely use this beautiful pile of skin, it looks like thin sheets of butterscotch ribbon candy or some kind of caramelized sugar.

The next skin worked like a charm. I laid down a coating of gel gloss and let it dry. Then a coat of the liquid mirror on top. Success! The skin lifted right off the sheet! Tomorrow I can print the image of the tea cup and lemon square right on the skin then integrate it into my painting. Next step, two coats of digital ground. The ground allows the photo to be printed with amazing clarity right on the acrylic skin.

The support is a 14x14 Elephant Birch Panel. Gesso both sides first then several layers of acrylics gels and mediums. I use a variety of viscosity's and finishes so that when I add the color glazes the grounds take the color in different ways for a beautiful surface effect.

More to follow.