Thank You All for the Push!

   I would like to sincerely than all of you who have commented on this painting. You inspired me, early this morning, to take a good look, get out brushes and paints, and start putting in a background to set off  Carmella. I am so excited with the results so far, I had to post it.

   I wet all the background and flowed in some aureolin, then while still wet, some quin. burnt orange. I'll be leaving the area around her nose lighter, and darkening from the outer edges inward. Thank you all again for your wonderful advice!!!

A Slightly Different Approach ... or ... Carmella the Second

Reference photo

My sketch

First washes of aureolin and quin. burnt orange

Looking mighty weird at this stage ... EEK!!!

Many more glazes, and starting to look like a yellow lab

   First, a minor grump about the poor registration of the darks, especially browns and blacks, with camera and computer. That done, I'll continue.

   I've been reading a book by Elizabeth Kincaid called "Dance with Light". Her paintings, mostly florals and still-lifes,  capture quite a quality of luminousity. Her technique involves glazes of pure pigment ... no mixing. So I thought I'd give it a try. I must say it is a bit more involved, especially planning what color glaze on top of several others will give the color you need. And it was very strange, at one point, glazing the nose with GREEN! But the depth and colors you achieve make the process worthwhile. I must admit I "cheated" with my blacks, using my favorite combination of quin. burnt orange, quin. violet and indanthrone blue. And I will be doing the grey areas on the face with a mix of aureolin, quin. coral and indanthrone, but that will be it for mixes.

   The actual painting has more depth, of course, than the computer image, but I am wondering if Miss Carmella doesn't need a very soft and nebulous background to show her off better. What are your thoughts? And what do you think of the pure color glazing?

I am here

A Notice

   I'm just putting up a quick note to let you all know that I have put prices on most of my paintings. You are able to view them on the "pages" section of my blog. The framed paintings are not inexpensive, due to the cost of framing, but I am sure you will find the unframed paintings quite a bargain. The unmatted paintings, I will send on thick cardboard or foam-core. Also, I must add the cost of mailing to the aforementioned price. Let me know what you think of the idea. You may contact me via the blog or my gmail   -   studioatthefarm7@gmail.com

A Carp of Substance ... or ... I Think It's Done

 

Both photos are at the same stage, I just played with the iPhoto adjustments differently.

   Firstly, I would like to thank all of you who follow my blog, and who commented on the progression of this painting. I honestly don't believe I would have pushed myself to put a shadow down around the carp; nor would I have shaded its body to give it roundness and depth. It has made it a much better painting! Again, thank you all, and all criticisms are welcome.

   Now, onto another perspective of Carmella.

YAY ... Baby Pictures

The Kid

   Around 7PM, I went to get BrunZ from the back lawn, to put him in his paddock for dinner. There was a great kuffuffle of killdeer noises. When I looked in the direction of the nest, there was action. Mom and Dad were very busy trying to keep an eye on the two scurrying kids. [one egg not hatched yet] The kids were ALL over the place, with parents in hot pursuit. I ran back in to get my camera, and then managed to take some decent photos. Boy ... those babies run like the wind, and they are so well-camoflaged. Other than proportional differences, they actually look like miniatures of the parents.

Mom, in mid-photo

Mom at lower right, and baby up against fence post

Another baby picture

SO well- colored, almost invisible 

Baby at lower left, and Mom or Dad at right

The remaining egg

A most protective parent

  

The Carpster

   It took a bit of "intestinal fortitude" to get to the point where I could lift some of what I'd done to create the illusion of ripples on the water surface. I marked it off with a dinner plate on the outside, then measured off the inside circles. I did it in an irregular manner, to get more of a look of reality. I also darkened the orange of the face, and some of the scales.
   I think what is left to do is to give the body more depth with some form shadow, and darken the pectoral and tail fins. What do you think needs doing?

The Carpoholic ...

 ... as of now

 I have it ... a plan for the water. I've done another sort of pour, with cobalt blue on the right and around the fish, and indanthrone blue on the left and around the entire perimeter. The carp needs more darkening/detail work. I may do some more indanthrone on left, and then I will create ripples from the lower right.