Tuesday, June 11, 2013

I stood on this beach!


"Tunnels Beach, Kaua'i"

3" X 4" Acrylic

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Time for a siesta!


A few weeks ago I started this painting.  I wanted it to be different by making it to be hung on an angle.  It is a 6" X 6" gallery wrapped canvas, done in Acrylic.

First I blocked in color and placed my palm trees.


I decided I didn't like the sky so I added some clouds.  I ended up taking the clouds out because I thought it would make the small painting look "too busy".  

At this point, my biggest challenge was to make the water level.  So when it hangs, the viewer doesn't get "seasick" looking at it.  Hmmm...but how do you do it?  From both corners, I measured from the tip of the corner to the area where the horizon line was.  As you can tell in this photo, it is higher on the left side, so I had to raise the horizon on the right.  It was nearly a quarter of an inch!  


VOILA!  It worked!  So how did I do the hammock?  I started with a medium hardness General's charcoal pencil.  I'm not changing a thing on this painting, I really like it.  The palms run on the sides of the painting too, it doesn't need to be framed.  







Friday, June 7, 2013

The car is finished! I don't know what to call it!


Here is the car in it's infancy.  Already I liked it a lot.



Here's a close up of the car.


I've worked on the body and the red light.  I'm dreading to do the headlight.  
So I decide to just do a little.


And here it is finished.  Oh, the headlight may appear a little distorted, but if I do decide to go back in and change something it will be minor.  


The painting is only 8" X 10" and I did it in acrylics.  I also painted all around the sides.  
Looking at it from this angle, you truly see the reflections.  


Here's a better shot.  

I have so many photos of old cars, and revamped cars that I should paint and this gave me the ambition to start painting them.  Now I only wish I knew what type of car this is.  I think it's a FIAT, but I'm not sure.  And I have to come up with a title for the painting.  How about "It isn't easy being green"?  Too corny?  How about "My little green monster"?  How about "Parking lot beauty"?  


I love it.  And that headlight was SO confusing...such a challenge.  But I did it!




Wednesday, June 5, 2013

I feel like a car mechanic, I'm working on my car!


Here is the before picture from yesterday...actually it is from hours ago.
This is the beginning, laying in colors and I was really pleased with it.  


And here it is a little bit more refined.  I still have a long way to go, but I'm pleased with how it's coming along.  As you can tell I concentrated on the basic color of the car, and the red light below the headlight.  I put a few lines in the headlight, but I'm saving it for last, those lines around the headlight will need total concentration.  I'm getting a bit confused with what is happening at the top of the painting, it was the wind shield and top of the car, but I'm not getting it...so I will ask my art teacher tomorrow in class to make heads and tails of it.  He is an EXPERT in doing cars.  This isn't too shabby (as he would say), but he is amazing.  If I get his permission, I will take a photo of one of his cars and post it.  But so far, I'm pretty please and so happy I decided to do this in acrylics, the acrylic colors seem to lend itself to a painting like this.  If it comes out good I plan on entering it in a show I learned about online.  


I had to quit after a few hours, my eyes were going batty with all the subtle color variations.  This is what is called "an artist's challenge" for sure!  Whew!



Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Updates and new projects

I decided to put this one to the side for a bit.  I have the painting in my head but I'm not clear on how to make the clouds "touch" the water in a dream like state.  So until I figure that one out, this is taking a back seat.  It is a 16" X 20" oil.


I've always wanted to paint zebras.  Something fascinated me with the stripes.  Funny how people joke about whether they have white strips or dark stripes...I'm here to tell you, they have dark stripes!  Here is the beginning of a 16" X 20" acrylic.  Just started the stripes.


I've done a bit of the leg and realize this is going to be a toughie (sanity wise) to finish this.  I started it in acrylic and I'm so glad I did, I can make mistake after mistake and have many layers of errors.  I do believe I will go over it all with oils when I am done.  There's just something about it that tells me I need to make a lot of mistakes and then perfect it later.  


Onto another painting.
I took the photograph which is standing up in a little holder.  It was a small car in a parking lot up in Tarpon Springs, Florida when I was up there about two years ago on a photography adventure with my friends Bonnie and "Pink".  Something attracted me to that car.  I have NO idea what type of car it is.  I think it's a revamped FIAT, but I can't be sure of it.  The color attracted me immensely.  I like the way it curved, the shine on it, and that fabulous headlight!  LOVE IT!


This is the trial colors, first coat, blocking in of colors and so far, all I can say is I LOVE IT!  I really like where this one is going.  Many of you will notice, I have the colors of the tubes of paint written on their tops.  It makes for easier retrieval.  No, the lines aren't perfect yet, yes, they are crooked, but it's just the basic painting!  Long way to go, but I really like it so far!  


This all goes to prove, you can start a project, get so far, put it aside, start working on something else, and that drives you nuts, and then the next painting can just seem to flow out of you.  I think I like the car headlight so much because it is from an original photograph I took.  Wish I knew the car's owner!