Just a Peek

Just a peek of the face that I worked on today. I don't want to reveal too much as it goes along...just a glimpse here and there before the the whole work comes together. I have more pictures of what went on in the studio today on my other blog. Having company while I worked was nice!

Boy at Buttonwood Park

I saw this boy with his Mom and Dad and older brother trying out the new playground in Buttonwood Park. He liked to sit at the bottom of the slide. We played here as girls but there was a corkscrew style metal slide at the time.

This paiting is available for bids starting at $150 US dollars. Bids may be made via e-mail.

Much of the Background

I have not touched the members of the family yet so they are still very sketchy. I spent my time today working on the water and background. The small painting that I made a few weeks ago is a big help as a reference. I did change a few things. In the small work, the girl's arm is straight. I changed it to a bent arm so that it draws you back into the painting instead of just having a rectangle of blue ocean on the left side of the work. Also, in her hand in the large work, she will be holding a small beach stone that she picked up during the shooting.

Underpainting

Today I got the chance to cover nearly all of the canvas. I am blocking in where everything goes and trying to get the colors pretty accurate. After Christmas, I will continue to develop the painting and will keep you posted on the progress. The hours of good natural light are very short this time of year. When do the days start getting longer?

Starting on the Larger Work

I have changed the position of the father's head. Over the next few days I will try to cover the canvas with the general idea and then build it up into a complete painting over the next few weeks. Eventually, on my other blog, I will post more photos of the whole process so that you can see, step by step, what goes into making a larger portrait commission.


Here I am checking the proportions of the face and the bodies before I commit to using paint. It saves a lot of time to make sure the dimensions are right from the very beginning. I use an old pencil compass that my Dad used when he was in school. It must be at least 50 years old.

Izzy Helps Out with a Big Commission

Today I was lucky and had a very nice visit in my studio from Izzy. She is very interested in art and she helped me with the underpainting for this oil study that I worked out today. Tomorrow I will start on the big canvas. It gives me a general idea of how to approach the large canvas and gives me a chance to see what works and what I would like to change. It is just a general sketch and the work I start tomorrow will be nine times larger. In the larger work I will capture a greater likeness and will have more room for details. This is very exciting for me! Thank you, Izzy for stopping by and showing an interest. You are welcome in my studio anytime!

AnnMarie Writing

SOLD
Finished this one today. I will post some pictures of my set up and daily painting easel on my other blog so you can see how fortunate I am to be so portable that I can paint in such comfortable surroundings. Now that I use walnut oil, there are no fumes so no need for ventilation. For me, the walnut oil has freed me to paint almost anywhere...in my car, in homes without the hazards of mineral spirits. So nice!

This painting is no longer available.

AnnMarie in Prose - Underpainting

I am on vacation in Michigan with my sister, AnnMarie. She is taking a course on Writing Essentials and as she did her homework, I took the opportunity to paint her. I will tell you that I have relaxed more than I have in a long time since I have been here. Her home is peaceful and full of clocks that make all kinds of bird calls and chimes and bells! It is great! It is like stepping back in time! While I painted she also read to me some excerpts from If You Want to Write - A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit by Brenda Ueland. I think any artist would love this book. It was first published in 1938 but it so current; as AnnMarie says, "It is timeless."