Again from a photo from Unsplash, and again really fun to paint! The steps of my process are outlined below.
Contemporary Portrait—Teenage Boy
Category painting knife
Contemporary ‘selfie’ Portrait
Oil on canvas panel, 12 x 16 ins
This is from a selfie photo, but not of me! As I was looking through the photos on my ‘phone I discovered several ‘unauthorized’ selfies of my teenage daughter. I told her that her ‘punishment’ was that I’d paint from them! She was horrified at first, but now actually likes the painting!
I painted this after watching a video lesson series (Contemporary Oil Portraiture, by Torsten Wolber) on the European site Domestika. His instruction is in German, but there are subtitles available in many languages. He’s a really fun teacher and opened my eyes to some new methods which I am loving trying out.
Small Art Show, Arts Illiana
This year I submitted 5 entries to the Small Art Show at Arts Illiana and was delighted to have all 5 selected for the Show. All pieces in this Show must be no more than 12 inches in any dimension, including the frame.
We had a very pleasant opening reception on Oct. 7, 2022.
The Show will be up until Dec. 17, 2022. All the works are for sale.
Composition 5
I liked the lower left design best, so I chose that for my painting.
I applied the paint with a palette knife throughout. I like the sunlight effect in the lower half of the painting.
Composition 4
8 x 10 ins, oil on canvas board
This painting was painted from 3a, the lower half of the sketch book page. I liked the lower left Notan the best and so used that for my guide. I used palette knives again throughout this one, as for Composition 3.
Inspection
One of my grandaughters asked me to sew a pink fleece bunting for her doll, after I had made a purple one for her sister’s doll. I made it and sent it to her and this painting is based on the photo that her mother took for me.
I like the look of quiet concentration as she inspects it. I enjoyed working with the soft and muted colors and using a palette knife for her hair.
Plein Air at Lake Erie
We’re on a camping trip to the east coast. I brought my pochade box and spent a delightful hour sitting on the southern shore of Lake Erie at sunset, painting this little study. I had decided to challenge myself by bringing only knives and blades (no brushes), so the painting is a little rougher as a result, but the sensation of sweeping paint across the surface was lovely. We stayed to watch the sun finally sink below the horizon-glorious!
Wedges and Blades
I’m really enjoying experimenting with these great tools, especially the mini-blades with handles. They are like flexible palette knives and the feeling is very liberating. I can mix and scrape right on the canvas and create all sorts of effects that a brush would not do.
This small acrylic painting (6×8 in) is a study for a larger painting. My daughter was trying on her first real ballet outfit, twirling around the room, and caught sight of herself in the sliding glass door. Her pose caught my eye. What was going through her mind?
I loved how the blades made the tulle of the tutu. The rest of the study was done with brushes.
Plein Air II
Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, 6 x 6 in
My second attempt! On this occasion our family went to a local park and the other members played disc golf while I painted, from a picnic table.
I was experimenting with using a palette or painting knife. It was fun and rather freeing! It brings different expectations. I also really enjoyed scraping out with the knife.
At first I tried to capture the sun setting behind the trees, casting lovely shadows and golden patterns on the grass. Then I tried to paint the sunset before it disappeared. It really seemed to be moving fast!
I like the sky painting better. It seems almost abstract and yet I know what it is.
(I should not have left the date setting on on my camera! I know now to remember to remove it for paintings.)
marymayhewart 