Friday, October 8, 2010

New Paintings Started. The Lounging Figure, the Copper Tree

A couple new paintings started this week.  Wednesday evening during figure drawing group I began a 9" x 12" panel of the female nude, perched upon black and teal drapery.  I started by under painting in shades of blue and a little brown, manipulating the limbs and fabric until I was happy with the placement.


Working on a small scale, it's important to get everything blocked in proportion before thinking about detail.

For the next hour I worked on getting the local color and minor adjustments to the figure.



Since our session came to an end, the kind model permitted me to take a reference photo so that I can finish.  I am especially interested in painting the pattern in the drapery.



Much like this painting from a couple weeks ago, I think the pattern will really add interest to the piece.



Also started this week...I am working on a painting for a client's dining/living area.  The walls are copper colored, and they are especially drawn to trees.  I found a really small (1" x 2") snapshot of a cherry tree branch in bloom in a magazine, so I am basing this painting off of that tiny picture.  I'm glad it's tiny, though...I want to look at the general shape, not minute details.



I started with a wash of cadmium orange, then glazed over that with a mix of turquoise and white.  Then I added about a hundred little squares of copper foil (THAT was fun!) and glazed again with a mixture of red and sap green.  (two panels, 30" x 30" each)

I'm just starting to add some lines with conte' crayon.


I have worked in this style before, and it creates a surface with a lot of depth and texture.  The birds in this painting were created the same way. 

And I love using copper leaf, you can control it to some extent, but sometimes it will tear and rip, creating accidental shapes as it did in this painting of the figure.

I will still add several more layers, and maybe even use a little modeling paste in a few areas.  I also like to sand away spots that become over-developed, revealing some buried moments.

I'm excited about finishing both of these paintings...soon I hope!


3 comments:

Fay Akers said...

you have been busy!
I think both are off to wonderful beginnings.

Tati said...

When I grow up, I want to be like you... XD Yeah, just said it on Twitter, but you're really my inspiration. :D

Hugs,
Tati

Anonymous said...

hey girl, I was just on handmadeology and the article about using keywords and judging what to use or not and I noticed that there wasn't much competition for the term 'fine art paintings, so I clicked it and low and behold you are on the bottom of the very first page. How exciting. I just had to let you know
peace n abundance
CheyAnne
http://cheyannesexton.etsy.com
ps Your work is just sooooo wonderful and I love the tree