Rome, Oil on Canvas, 24" x 36"

Rome is complete. The image is taken with my point-n-shoot, so it isn't as good as it could be. Better images may make it here eventually.

I ended up putting many more pattern elements in both the light and shadow areas of the fabric. It reads nicely now. I also oiled more sunk-in areas. I'll have to watch it to see if I need to add more oil or if I'll have to varnish the thing. I do hate varnishes though... Only thing remaining is to paint the edges of the canvas which I will do today before tackling my Pink Lady/ Mutso pastel.

Lessons learned:
- Don't settle on color. Take the time to get it right the first time so you don't make more work for yourself.
- Don't rush the detail. Work over the entire surface more before settling into 2 square inches of uber-detail.
- Put away the #2 brushes except when absolutely necessary.
- Don't make contrasts so difficult to read. (Blue next to black = dark.)
- Don't keep all the exciting bits on one side of the composition.
- Keep moving forward!

Next oil will be the large Gala canvas. Big color and big activity. Should be fun, but I need a bit of time to work out the composition. Having 5 artists here tomorrow to give me ideas on how to better use my space might be useful before I get down to it. I'm planning on a 2-month time allotment, especially since Rome was really only 14 days over 2 months. Amazing how I can procrastinate, however, I am doing better than I used to!

Time to work.

The Lights at the End of the Tunnel

I was very frustrated with the painting last week when I discovered I'd worked in more detail in areas that I didn't mean to. No, I never put away the tiny brushes! The idea of obliterating what I did seemed wrong. I avoided working on it at all for several days. I eventually came to the conclusion that the painting still works, just not how I'd originally intended it to. This is a lesson learned for future.

The fabric color I thought I'd figured out just didn't work in daylight at all. Yesterday, I buckled down and remixed fairly large quantities of a variety of new blue values with ultramarine, burnt umber, yellow ochre and alizarin. No phthalo this time. I repainted all of the fabric and replaced my shadow areas. The tiny brushes got put aside and I added very loose patterns by drawing into the new blue. The wine holder was adjusted yet again and poppy oil seemed to help with the sunk in areas.

I'm happy with where the painting is now, but see that the pattern's lights (reds/ochres) need to appear behind the bottom of the wine bottle somehow and on the top areas of the fabric fold or edge that's not in shadow. Hopefully, those will be the only adjustments before I sign off on this painting!

Another Day In Rome

I've been working away at the more detailed sections of the painting and have begun to delve into the other areas of the painting. The glazing worked well for the apple and the grapes - I just adore the apple. The sugar cubes just happened. I did move the one on the lower right, but may have to move it back a tad. It is just not reading correctly to me. I like that they are not super focused and hope to get the vase to work similarly. I think I may need to put away my teeny brushes to keep from taking it over-board.

Ah, the fabric! So far, it's coming along and the color is getting better since I switched to a phthalo blue in addition to the ultramarine. I will have to push the lights and darks dramatically for it to work the way I want it too. The left side of the painting is getting way too dark. The sinking-in of the dark area is not helping either. The pattern across the front will work, but I may create the patterns in the darker rear areas to help it all. Having more light just between the bottle and the lower part of the wine holder will be helpful too.

I will say that I have a love/hate relationship with the wine holder itself. I repainted the metal portion and still feel it needs more definition. If it's dry enough, I will put in more of the bright lights to emphasize the shine. The curve has been adjusted repeatedly. I don't want the curve to be a distraction at all - from being just plain wrong or from being too much in detail. This brings me to wonder if I should have left it all out! Now it will be my duty to make the damned thing work.

Off to the studio chanting, "I think I can. I think I can."