acrylic painting
« Previous Entries Next Entries »Dancing With Trees 02
Tuesday, October 9th, 2007
Dancing With Trees 02, 48H x 48W x 1D inches acrylics, matt and semi-gloss glaze medium, and semi-gloss varnish on canvas, scene continues onto trim frame. Detail images below.
Layers of glaze washes used in final stages: Hansa yellow light, Phthalo blue, Phthalo green, Permanent green, Thio violet, Mars black, Cadmium red light, Dioxazine violet.
This piece is an example of work that does not reflect the original vision but is turning into something much more interesting. To help enhance the character of cedar branches I’ve dripped water, paint, glazes, and varnish across patches of color, splattered it on with a brush and also painted it turned upside down. This left sheen and textures not captured in photos; best seen in person.
Dancing With Trees 02, started August 30th – several progression details posted on different dates are combined in this post. The oil pastel with the same name, first version, posted in March 2007, inspired the painting.
 |
 |
 |
|||
 |
 |
 |
Male Cardinal
Saturday, October 6th, 2007
Male Cardinal at the Dallas Arboretum, Dallas TX, 24H x 24W inches acrylics and masking medium on canvas, trim frame. Sold.
Cardinals are one of my favorite subjects. On walks I see them in the open, but good photos of them are elusive, as they hide just beyond the branches so perfect shots are next to impossible. Branches here are partially in front, placed around the bird in the abstract shape of a nest. The cardinal in the painting really is that chubby. He is well fed at the Dallas Arboretum.
There were two separate applications of masking medium, used traditionally in watercolor paintings. Second phase: trying to highlight the bird’s interaction with its environment and hoping to find a way to do more than provide the expected sort of cardinal portrait. Adding Pthalos Blue wash changes the mood and the season, maybe even the time of day…interesting what one or two brushes of color can do.
One male Cardinal returns regularly to our yard with his mate who chirps quick, sharp notes. I discovered this when thinking that our air conditioner needed servicing, and going out to see what the consistent squeaking was. The pair laid eggs in one of our back yard bushes during May this year. I half-hoped the eggs would be red! The nest was made to perfection with a tightly woven bowl of dry grass, leaves, twigs, and pieces of plastic garbage, so artfully crafted.
Dancing With Trees 02 work in progress
Monday, September 17th, 2007
Dancing With Trees 02, 48H x 48W x 1D inches acrylics on canvas. Layers of glaze used in final stages: Hansa yellow light, Pthalo blue, Pthalo green, Permanent green, thio violet, Mars black, Cadmium red light, Dioxazine violet
It’s the sky’s turn
Tuesday, September 11th, 2007
It’s the sky’s turn to dance! White glaze will attach itself to the varnish I dripped on the other day.
Dancing With Trees 02 – progress
Monday, September 10th, 2007
Dancing With Trees 02, started August 30th – 48H x 48W acrylics on canvas – progression details are combined into one post. The oil pastel with the same name, posted in March 2007, inspired the painting.
I’ve tried lots of new things with this one – am hoping to keep just the impression of branches. I don’t want too many details. Using washes and glazes to help create the cedar branch texture I’ve dripped water, paint, glazes, and varnish across patches of color, splattered it on with a brush and also painting upside down.
Emerald Tree Boas
Saturday, August 4th, 2007
Emerald Tree Boas, 24H x 57W x 2D inches acrylics on canvas, wrapped sides painted, trim frame
This painting accumulated finer detail than is typical of my work, except in graphite illustrations. The Emerald Tree Boas are one of my favorite exhibits at the Dallas World Aquarium (Texas). Their beautiful green skin has striking black and white scale patterns along the spine and a turquoise mother-of-pearl overall sheen that’s visible at certain angles where the body delicately curls and bends.
It would be nice if this painting could carry enough potency to alter the automatic responses of fear and disgust that are associated with snakes. I made Santa hats with construction paper and cotton balls, taping them on as part of our Christmas decorations.
Polypore Fungi – phase 2
Sunday, June 10th, 2007
Polypore Fungi, work in progress, 59 H x 41 W x 2 D, acrylics on canvas. Here is the painting after a few more hours of work.
Polypore Fungi, work in progress
Saturday, June 9th, 2007
Polypore Fungi, work in progress, 59 H x 41 W x 2 D, acrylics on canvas
Studying shades of dark and light are the basics of any Artwork done with color, and it’s good to practice “real” drawing every so often, paying attention to lines, shapes, spaces…but enough of pencil drawings for a while. I’m craving color and space once more- ready to paint again, but starting this so close to the date we leave for holidays this coming Friday. My hope is to call it finished while it’s still at the open and lively stage, before over-working it. Here is the painting after about two hours.
Four Corners
Wednesday, February 7th, 2007
Four Corners, 16H x 20W x 1 inches acrylics, Arizona sand, thick gel medium on canvas.
Inspired by the Four Corners area of western U.S., where Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico meet. The rocks and soil vary rich shades of red, and turquoise has been treasured and used in everyday objects by Navaho and other tribes in the area for centuries.
First Snow, started
Monday, January 15th, 2007
First Snow, 36H x 24W inches acrylics and crackle medium on canvas, work in progress
First Snow has many layers and blobs of paint. A damp cloth dipped in white was wiped lightly across the textured surface to create the effect of snow powder. Crackle medium also works well to help with the impression of snowfall. The scene is of tall Spruce trees in Calgary, Alberta where, on September 1st, the day I was to return to Dallas I awoke to a gentle snowfall and powder on the trees.