Tuesday 13 February 2018

Abundance 
A commission.


Abundance | Acrylic on canvas | 180 x 45 cm
I painted this large marbles commission last year and actually documented it! Mostly images for a change :)





I abhor white primed canvas shining through in completed paintings, so I do a neutral background as a kind of primer. Of course with a large painting like this I had to pre-mix a LOT of paint. But that always comes in handy later, if not on this painting, it will make an appearance on the next.




Floor to ceiling shot to give you an idea of scale. I had to work sideways like this for most of the painting, and when I couldn't reach anymore, turn it 180 degrees. When I actually wanted to see the painting right way around, I had to balance it on the bookshelf to the left, and the desk on the right - on books 'cause of course they wouldn't be the same height! 
AND then it was slightly too big to take in. 
Balance it on the shelf and desk, then go stand in the hallway just outside the studio door to take it all in! Mentally earmark everything that looks strange, come back in, move everything back, start making changes. I'd love a motorized easel in a warehouse. But this goes to show that you really can make do.








This is a little progression from start to finish focusing on the green (issues with colour discrepancy due to lighting, contrast on the bottom photo is too high, but you get the idea!)


Poser. 


Little lady bird joined me pushing paint around


Stay hydrated! 


Studio shot with all the filters




I really loved that rusty marble. But the right side of the canvas had become terribly dull colour wise, so I stole some marbles from elsewhere on the same reference photo and snuck them in! There are a bunch pf little places I added punch, just to balance things out - for example the red background at the top, just right of the yellow marble. Balance ÜBER ALLES!



Also, you'll notice that the 'background' colour left of the green goon keeps darkening. I needed it to pop, and while I wanted it to stay neutral, it just wanted to be dark. Dark neutral, sort of like chaotic good.



It looked lovely on our lounge wall, perfect size for the room. Something to remember when we get something to put there permanently, as opposed to this merry-go-round of foster paintings! 



Also. When your clients bring champagne that they brought all the way from a tiny little village in France to celebrate your completion, you harbor no ill will :P It was deliciously fancy.

Some detail shots for your pleasure:







Look at that big flat expanse of red! Isn't it great?! Flat red is larger than the painting I finished over the weekend. But in context, it isn't flat. Light does crazy things with glass, which is one of the reasons I will probably never tire of painting marbles.


L'il rust-replacer turned out to be one of my favourite marbles in the painting, it has most of the colours in it - I realised at some stage that we have all the colours except pink, so I had to sneak that in there too! 


Another wonderfully flat marble. It just didn't catch any light, seems rather unrealistic. Which is one of the joys of photorealistic painting, sometimes you need to make something look flat, because even though when you focus in on it your brain expects something different, you're being true to the photo. Realism can be terribly unrealistic.

I have some upcoming exhibitions in March, but I'll brag them separately, have a fantastic rest-of-the-week folks!

2 comments:

  1. Wat kan ek se!! Amazing amazing amazing werk! Ek sal graag een van jou skilderye wil besit eendag. ♥

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  2. You are truly gifted and taken this gift to master your skills. Wonderful still images!

    ReplyDelete