oil painting

A Day’s Work

I am happy with the beautiful face of this figure. It has the perfect ratio of warm to cool: thoughts of Velazquez. The middle figure brings the painting together. The pose, the values and the colors all harmonize with the overall composition. I envision the figure on the right with Rubensian flesh tones. The tones will contrast nicely with the other two figures’ flesh colors. Additionally, I am healing well from Takotsubo. It usually takes a month and I am near that mark. And, my Mets won a game yesterday. Good work all around.

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Three Graces

Working on the landscape elements of this painting has been a way to escape my current health issues. I know from experience that once a health issue crops up, it is easy to get caught up in negative thinking and lose my equanimity. So, I am going to make a concerted effort this time to not start thinking the worst. So far, I have come across a bad doctor, an equally bad cardiac unit of a local hospital, and some truly kind and caring medical professionals. I have to have faith that I will come across more of the latter and not the former as this journey continues. Maybe the Three Graces can help guide me.

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Evolution of a Portrait

First stage with blue ground and outlines in raw and burnt umbers
Addition of beard and shadows
Broad colors of skin tones laid in
More detailed lights, darks and middle tones applied
Beard and more details added; tones blended to more realistically express features
Almost completed: shirt and background elements added

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Starting and Finishing

I have been working on this painting for approximately 1 1/2 months. Today I went over some areas that were bothering me: some were too dark, and some edges were not crisp enough. I like the delicate balance between correcting areas and leaving some slightly imperfect. I do this because I enjoy the process of looking at art, specifically drawings, when I gather insight into what an artist was thinking by examining the various marks made. I have posted the beginning charcoal image on canvas I started with, and the final painting.

Two Men with Image of Hecate the Greek Goddess of Magic, Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches

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Today’s work

I love where this painting is taking me; I worked today on the sky, and mountains and moved two figures up and further back.

Ballet, or The Evil That Men Do, 4th day, oil on panel, 11 x 14 inches

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Slow painting is better

for me. If I rush, I may miss important details. The painting contains the process, through lines, forms and subtle color combinations. Each carries their own complements and discordant elements. All parts of the painting are in motion: lines, planes, areas of color. Nothing is set in stone, but constantly evolving. The learning is in the progression. Each new stroke or value leads me forward. I don’t want to force these, so I am letting each time I work on the painting be the impetus for me to study, meditate and then put brush to canvas, or in this case, panel. The images below are the first sketch and the 7 times I have worked on the painting thus far. I also include three of the progressions. To be continued…

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Mostly Finished

There is more to do to make the blue sky look better, but overall am happy with the way this turned out. I feel sometimes as if I am chasing an elusive butterfly, trying for perfection and always falling short. However, these fellows look pretty good, as imperfect as they are.

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A Beautiful World (in process)

of color, specifically the color of skin. My hard work and almost obsessive attention to subtle color and value changes are worth the effort. I have used other methods to create a world, however at this time this process is right for me, and how I wish to express what is beautiful. In a noisy world, it is especially gratifying to create something wonderfully nuanced.

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