Day 123: Progress on elephant eye painting

Day 122: Progress on Queen series

My clever friend Gina Hampen -  http://wheegina.blogspot.co.uk/
put a quote from Ira Glass on our 365ers FB page. Basically it is motivation for struggling, creative and desperate souls to carry on. In the quote it says: do a LOT of work, so I am:)

Day 120: Angel-boy finished

Day 116: Start (and half way) elephant eye painting

This is a close up of an elephant eye that I have started recently and got quite well on with it. I am actually painting it from a photograph by Karl Lindsay who is a very talented photographer. The original photo as well as more fabulous photography you can find here: https://www.facebook.com/karllindsayphotography

My aim with this painting is mainly to work on my technical skills, hence copying a photo. It should look better once the lashes are on:)

Day 109: Queen portrait number 2

This is the under painting for the second portrait in my Queen series. The first one is finished and you can see it here: http://365artydays.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/day-94-bit-more-work-on-oil-painting.html

I got this book on old master's painting techniques that I am following. First portrait was done in following Titian, this one is Caravaggio and the third one will be Vermeer. Although they might end up looking all the same :)
 I had a long talk with my very wise husband yesterday about my art and all. He said basically that I am in the middle, on one hand I can paint very well as long as I am detached from the subject, like in these portraits but then when I make something personal it becomes just a hash like the painting yesterday.

So basically I need to find a way to marry the two. Instead of using symbolism that I think other people will understand, I need to find the ones I believe in and then paint that using some of my technical skills.

Well that's the theory...

Day 108: One step forward, three steps back

 

This is what happens when attempts are half-hearted and fittingly it is on a heart theme I made this horrible painting. I'm going to paint it over tomorrow but I wanted to share it here in order to remember what not to do in the future. I feel a lot from the heart and really wanted to capture something from it for these theme but I didn't commit to it. This image is like something I would have painted two years ago in it's style and technique, it's neither here or there. And this, in a nutshell, is my problem.

I feel things, then I am too afraid to commit to that feeling because mainly I don't want to offend anyone, especially my family and out comes this cliche-like rubbish..

My other problem is that I have put a lot of effort in painting and drawing technique over the past three years but can't seem to be able to marry those to my expression from the heart which, again, is problematic..and I think to much.

Day 102: Angel-boy painting stage 2

My oil painting group is having a small selling exhibition on 22 June so as part of my small goals I aim to have enough art to join in in the sale. Apparently contemporary paintings and children playing on the beach are best sellers in that particular place, hrm, I will have to think about that.
Anyway, here is angel-boy stage 2.

Day 101: New beginnings

I started three (actually four but it's rubbish so I painted it over) new paintings. I decided I love painting most and want to explore that. The large one is going to be a contemporary-ish portrait, the small brown one is following Caravaggio's technique of painting and the blue one is exploring technique called 'ghosting' and it's fun:)
The sketch for the blue painting is on day 96.

Day 94: A bit more work on oil painting

Just showing some progress on my little oil painting. Oils are completely new medium to me but I am enjoying it very much. This is actually taken from a fashion photograph, I really liked the ruffles which is why I chose to paint it. I have another two same size canvases and another two photos so it will be a little QUEEN series. 

Day75: Oil painting Thursday

Today was THE day of fur painting and that went nowhere...I tried a bit on back paws but everything I got is fuzz so I sort of gave up on that point. My painting tutor didn't really know what to suggest either so it will be another day with youtube learning. First I will have to get back definition I lost by my failed attempts. Hopefully I can do that and shrink it back a bit as everything tends to get bigger and bigger with more layers of paint. 

Having made a bad job on that I went on to my second painting - the Queen, as archetype rather then a particular person. I am following advice from a book on old painting techniques so I am adding colors one at time. The face is now ready for skin tones while the collar, the part I really like I am trying to build up from light and shadows. This, by the way, is a fashion photography I am painting from. I have another two photos and if everything goes well i would like to make three paintings.

Day 68: Oil Painting Thursdays

Really had good fun today with my painting, it os getting on. Today I have worked more on surrounding, putting in dark shadows for the grass and stones. Also worked on far back so it is more interesting. I get stuck every now and then and think omg I just don't know how to do this but then I get going again and it sort of sorts it self out. Fur is next on the list and then finally the grass and then it should be finished. My first oil-painting:)

Day 61: Oil Painting Thursdays

Day 47: Oil-Painting Thursdays

All my previous attempts in painting oils have turned into mud so I decided to go on a course and learn properly. This is my take on a cheeta that has been painted by a canadian artist who's name i cant remember. 

I will be doing this every thursday for several weeks now, plenty of time to make a mess out of it :)