A few weeks ago I shared a photo tutorial on a painting,
Damask Sunflowers.
At the time I worked on D.S. I was working on Life is a Bowl of Cherries.....love that quote by Mary Englebreit.
This painting is mixed media: paper products, acrylic, modeling paste and oil.
20x20 cradle board substrate, gessoed.
In the beginning all I knew was I would paint a bowl of cherries. Sketching with thin oil paint, the bowl and broad shape of cherries was put in place, plus a horizon line was drawn
.
In the beginning all I knew was I would paint a bowl of cherries. Sketching with thin oil paint, the bowl and broad shape of cherries was put in place, plus a horizon line was drawn
.
Having worked on Damask Sunflowers with patterned paper, I decided to use the same paper on the downside edge of the table and the crescent bowl shape. The paper was applied with gel medium.
Next a multi-colored wash of acrylic was painted over the gessoed surface. Working over this mottled background, two layers of stenciling were applied. Modeling paste was added to lavender paint, and pushed through the stencil with a palette knife. When that was dry, modeling paste with light blue paint was stenciled, changing the direction of the stencil.
The table surface has a different stencil, using purplish-blue. Once dry the pink pattern was lightly over-stroked in a lighter shade of the pink to give more contrast.
Using acrylic paint in shades of darker red and lighter red were brushed around to start the general shape of individual cherries. Finally starting to look like something!!
This close up shows the amount of depth the stencil creates.
For me the best part is painting in rich, luscious oil. Heavy shading, and bright highlights gives shape to the cherries.
A pitcher of daisies in thick paint completes the painting.
Going back to the painting a few days later, and taking a critical look, I decided to add a handle to the pitcher and glazed some of the shadows around the cherries one more time. You will also note that I empathized the shadow under the bowl with scribbles of graphite.
Then it is time for THE BIG DRY!!!
Damask Sunflowers has sold and this painting is available at a show at Christ Church Art Gallery through the end of January.
If you are interested in it, you may contact me.
Sharon - I so love when you share your painting process - watching the work progress through all its myriad steps is fascinating. I love the finished product - so rich with such depth. Best of luck on your show!
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