A Bit More on the Saga ...

I decided it needed some more shadow on the right and definition below both figures, so I painted a w/w with a brown mix and a blue-black mix, keeping it loose. I had a question from fellow artist/blogger Vicki Wood [or St. Vicki, as I think of her, for her great care of rescue dogs] about lighting when photographing paintings. The above was taken under my regular Verilux studio light.

This was taken with the "daylight" bulb alone.

This photo was taken under lighting of the Verilux and a "daylight" bulb. It's an unbelievable difference.


As always, your comments are most welcome.

The Continuing Saga of Bruno

I think I left off here, with just some light washes of color in the two moons.

I darkened the "wall" in front of the horse, and started intensifying the colors in both figures.

More color. This photo was taken in studio light.

Same stage, in overcast daylight.
Again, I must apologize for the color variations.  It's so frustrating, and neither photo is accurately showing the colors nor the values. Is is the camera? the editing system on the computer?


I was hoping to ride today, but it is so incredibly wet. Apparently, we in B.C. are having the coldest and wettest June ever. OH BOY!! Yes, Bruno has his snorkeling gear on, and would like another pair of flippers, as he wore his out last summer.
And I did manage to get over to my vet's, and scale his dogs' teeth. Yes, sometimes this hygienist makes house calls. Anyway, I'm working on this painting, as I still don't know how I will approach the bridge painting.  Considering the weather, I should have a lot of indoor time to think about it.

As always, your comments are most welcome.

AAARRGH!!!

I'd like to use this old photo as reference. I think it's from the late 30's, just after the bridge was completed.

I did have a wet, happy time slopping paint around - on the paper, on me, on the floor ...  I was trying to create the effect of rain. After all, Vancouver is on the Wet Coast! 

I did this without any sketching beforehand, and it looks it.

I think the idea will work. I need more intensity, depth and strength in the bridge. This is just a small practice run, to see what the colors do. All in all, it was a frustrating session this afternoon, hence the "Aarrgh"!

As always, your comments are most welcome.

Before I Knew What Happened ...

I started adding some shadow to the leaves ...

... and adding, and then darkened the background once more.
Now there are only some tiny touch-ups to do on the pistils and stamens.

Instead of painting, I snuggled with the cat, and watched three hours of documentary-style disaster movies. There's  nothing like watching several possible scenarios of the end of the world or just the human race to put everything into perspective.

As always, your comments are most welcome. ;)

A Bit of Catching Up ...

The GRAD, and the dad

Julian and Paulina, my aunt [best art critic and mentor] just behind 

I tried to take Jules' photo as he was coming up the aisle. My sister or niece called his name, he turned, and got my flash in his eyes. He looks like he is a graduate of Zombie High!

I left the rhodo here a few days ago.

If you look REALLY  closely, you might see the colors I've added in the petals, and the shadows in the leaves.  My plan is to do one more wash on all of the background and into some of the leaves, and then take a good long look to see what else may need touching up.  


I had a quick ride on Bruno early yesterday morning, then showered, and dressed up. I zipped into Vancouver to my sister's home, and then all of us drove downtown to see Julian's graduation ceremony. It was actually quite a wonderful experience, even just watching - all those great young people, hearing about their dreams and plans. I was really uplifted by the ceremony. 

Well ... It's Colorful ...

I've been working on the petal shadows, each one done w/w. Right now, I love this nitpicky work.

When I step away from it, I see I am keeping the warms and cools in the right place. That's good! :)

A closer shot of where I am now. Everything is still "soft".  I'll have to add some  more definitive shadows once all the w/w softer shadows are done.


As always, your comments are most welcome.

"It's Alive ..."

I left it here last night.

I was up at 6 AM [???] painting. I painted the rest of the background with the violet/black mixture, then found it looked too dull.

So I went over the top and right with violet and indanthrone, in a scrumbly manner.

STILL too dull, so I painted the same area with phthalo blue w/w.

This is what it looks like properly cropped, in daylight. The other shots are studio light. It's better, but NOT FINISHED. Now I must pump up all the shadows in the petals and leaves. And so it goes ...
I say "it's alive" because it seems to have taken on a life of its own, and is telling me where it wants to go. And I love that line, from the Frankenstein movies. :)  There's the mad scientist yelling "It's alive!" just before all hell breaks loose with his creation.

I think this is the last you saw of Bruno and his farrier.

I've been playing with it a bit, as I wait for the paint to dry, or for inspiration to hit me on the head.


As always, your comments are most welcome!