Rue De Faubourg Brasserie14" x 11"
Oil on canvas
That was fun! I liked this one so much I submitted it on my application for OPA's Western Regional Exhibition.
Big brushes. And Flat brushes... I usually use filberts, but a while back I got some super short handled flats for my plein air set-up. I love them! I love this painting... It feels good. It felt good the second its bones were laid on the canvas.
Bones... that reminds me of an old wives tale-
An old woman wanders eternally throughout a desert collecting the bones of wolves. When she has all the pieces to make an entire carcass, she lays them out in the sand, aligning them in their proper positions with the greatest care.
Then she sings over them.
She sings of the life, death, life cycle, and of joy and sorrow, and of creativity. And as she sings, the carcass at her feet grows ligaments, and organs and muscle and skin and hair and soon the heart begins to pump blood through the veins of the wolf, and it springs up and runs off into the desert night, howling... The wolf's form changes in the moonlight and the howl turns into the light-hearted laughter of a woman.
An empowering tale from Clarrissa Pinkola Estes, PhD's book Women Who Run with the Wolves. A good read!
Back off the bunny trail... I did something else different with the painting process this time. I had two reference photos made of the same scene, one was normal and the other was posterized in Photoshop. In one of his books, Kevin Macpherson said to check out the posterizing option on Photoshop to help you see things in blocks of color rather than as things. Wooo-boy! That really did help! I think I will be doing that for a while until I really get the hang of seeing things that way on my own.
This is exciting. Good learning experience!
I've been chatting with my mom and we are going to take a painting holiday together! Southern France, I think. She is a master of "going with the flow" and said we should just save up, visualize taking this wonderful relaxing holiday, and the perfect vacation will present itself. I agree. (She knows, man!)
I can hardly wait!
Big brushes. And Flat brushes... I usually use filberts, but a while back I got some super short handled flats for my plein air set-up. I love them! I love this painting... It feels good. It felt good the second its bones were laid on the canvas.
Bones... that reminds me of an old wives tale-
An old woman wanders eternally throughout a desert collecting the bones of wolves. When she has all the pieces to make an entire carcass, she lays them out in the sand, aligning them in their proper positions with the greatest care.
Then she sings over them.
She sings of the life, death, life cycle, and of joy and sorrow, and of creativity. And as she sings, the carcass at her feet grows ligaments, and organs and muscle and skin and hair and soon the heart begins to pump blood through the veins of the wolf, and it springs up and runs off into the desert night, howling... The wolf's form changes in the moonlight and the howl turns into the light-hearted laughter of a woman.
An empowering tale from Clarrissa Pinkola Estes, PhD's book Women Who Run with the Wolves. A good read!
Back off the bunny trail... I did something else different with the painting process this time. I had two reference photos made of the same scene, one was normal and the other was posterized in Photoshop. In one of his books, Kevin Macpherson said to check out the posterizing option on Photoshop to help you see things in blocks of color rather than as things. Wooo-boy! That really did help! I think I will be doing that for a while until I really get the hang of seeing things that way on my own.
This is exciting. Good learning experience!
I've been chatting with my mom and we are going to take a painting holiday together! Southern France, I think. She is a master of "going with the flow" and said we should just save up, visualize taking this wonderful relaxing holiday, and the perfect vacation will present itself. I agree. (She knows, man!)
I can hardly wait!
12 comments:
I'm so inspired by you! I'm a stay at home mom and wife of a law student and I began using oils seriously in 2005...weirdly similar, eh? But you have really taken painting on to a new level and I'm inspired! This one is beautiful (and I love the plein air with yellow flowers below, too). Keep going!
holy crap how do you paint so fast?!?!?!
This is a beautiful painting, I look forward to seeing more!
Absolutely gorgeous! You've captured the atmosphere so well and I love your palette! It certainly is award worthy -- good luck and I look forward to seeing more of your work.
Love the painting! You should be happy with this one!
This is a lovely painting! I love the gesture of the awning.
C'est fantastique!! ooh la la, Sara :-)
This is great! And I ADORE Clarrissa P-E's book. One of my favorites. Now I'm going to dig it out and re-read it. Your mom sounds like a wonderful woman. She's a painter, too?
I believe I had a $9 coke at this place! Make no mistake, is a beautiful painting.
Great painting!! You and your mom will have a wonderful vacation, I'm sure! Can I come?
Painted loose but totally in control-very nice!
I look forward to reading about your adventure.
Sweet painting. It brought back memories of Paris the second I saw it. Nicely done!
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