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| "Woman in Pink & Gold" 16x20 oil and gold leaf on canvas |
I do give private art lessons. But not the kind of lessons that say - "this is the process of creating art". The students I have varying levels of artists who need guidance in accomplishing their art according to their skills and comfort levels.
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| My long road to an experimental portrait |
I don't have one specific way to accomplishing a painting. Sometimes I underpaint in blue, green, earth tones, even hot pink or purple etc lol! I do create thumbnails first though. And I either do a bunch of pencil studies or go directly to Photoshop. But my studies are to determine composition and values and color arrangements. Then I do fleshtone studies. Then I go all over the place hahaha This particular commission, because client said, "Do whatever your artistic calling wants you to do." So I took my time. This project took 3.5 years. I wanted to express the energy the subject puts out. For the longest time, the traditional way I paint portraits competed strongly with what my creative self wanted to do, it was quite a battle oye! My mood went all over the place.
After much denial and negotiating and finally reaching surrender and acceptance, I was worn out; ready to listen to my creative self. I took the unexplored road to gold leaf and gold paints. The subject likes bling and she looks loveliest among gold colors and she likes purples and pinks. Very, very slowly, I proceeded this direction. Things were finally "feeling" more comfortable. I wasn't missing the defiance from where ever the heck that energy was coming from. This was still a bit nerve wracking because I don't do commissions herky jerky. I only allow myself more play when it's just "my art".
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| Detail shot it wasn't easy to photograph |
By the way, I usually either have TV or audible on when I'm painting because I need to divide my attention or I overthink things and scare myself. Well I kid you not, when I finally felt I had just applied the last touch on the portrait, the trailer from from
"Woman in Gold" played on my studio TV! WHOAH cue Twilight Zone music! YEAH I felt like it was a sign of validation from Creative Universe giving me thumbs up for winning my battle the correct way!
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| Anna with "Woman in Pink & Gold" |
Then Anna received her painting and she was delighted! And immediately had it framed!!! I was so dang worried when we were having tornado warnings, I was gonna get sooooo mad if the 3.5 year old project got flown to the land of OZ! I suggested she saw the movie too which she did :) Weeks later Mom and I went to see it too and loved my idol Helen Mirren.
Though my current commission pieces on the easel are traditional, I really enjoyed this project so much after the fact hahaha I am happier that I didn't settle for my usual traditional style because it wouldn't have done Anna justice.
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| "Yellow and Red Roses" 4x6 oil on canvas collection of Patrick and Adriane Carr |
Today the buyer of a recent painting I published on Facebook posted a beautifully framed photo of the painting! It really puts a big smile on my silly face when I see that my works live in good homes :)
