Thursday, October 29, 2009

Monday, October 19, 2009

Can you see the difference???

This is the part of fine tuning...where the painting is either working or it's NOT. Can you even notice what I've changed???? I pushed back the buildings and the tops of the trees and the guy's back on her right. Darkened her shadows...tried to soften the mouth on the girl sleeping in the foreground. I put translucent sparkles on her highlights and on the top of the umbrella which you wouldn't notice unless the sun hit her. I darkened under the trees.

anymore suggestions???

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Jazz Lady


The hardest part of finishing a painting is the fine tuning at the end. It's the nit picking part...the part where you decide something really needs to go, or something else is really needed. Well, that is where I am with this painting. You look at the same painting all day, every day and it get's hard to fine tune because you are looking at it so much. Maybe this is the part where you let it go for awhile and then come back to it with a fresh look.

I was trying to make this painting about the "Jazz Lady". We were at the Chicago Jazz Fest and I just loved to see this older women in all her splendor, bravado or what every word you'd put to her...just plopping herself down with her suitcase and enjoying this moment for herself...before getting on the train and heading for the airport. I love her attitude and I hope when I'm her age I do the same!

Any way....I'm thinking the trunks and limbs of the trees are creating static noise for me. Too unnecessary...so...what do you think??? Darken-more blurry- under the trees..(by the people).

I know this is a busy picture....I took out a lot...but the whole thing is her and Chicago...the parks, the crowds, the fests...and....her. So that is why I put in what I did. This is the busiest picture I've done. Not sure I'd want to do something like this again...but I still need to finish it.

So, comments please!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Correction on Churning SEa

I was tired when I wrote that last post. CORRECTION......SHE ONLY USED ONE COLOR....BLACK. All the highlights you see were reflections from the strokes...It was totally all ONE color...so you can see how important the brushstrokes in this painting were.

I was given trial color by GOLDEN called Torret Grey which I thought I might try in the painting I am presently working on ...and I'm guess Karen must have used such a color that had a metallic in the black in order for those brush strokes to creat or catch that much light.!?

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Churning Sea by Karen Gunderson


While in Santa Fe we ventured over to the Railyard District . The Railroad District was to have lots of Galleries, but several had closed probably due to the economy.

We were in the William Siegal Gallery of Ancient Contemporary art. While walking around I passed a large 72" x 72" painting, and then slowly backed up. I stared at the painting which was d one only in black and white. While staring I found myself backing up and holding my gaze. I was totally enchanted and perplexed by this painting. A painting that I could have easily missed but once my eye caught the image I was spell bound. Believe me....I don't usually get spell bound by many paintings. I literally stood there for 20 minuets.

The painting is by a New York artist called Karen Gunderson. She works ONLY in black and white. Sounds boring...but it is amazing what she has done. Her other works were wonderful, but this one painting is beyond phenominal!!

I'll post the picture titled "Churning Sea" which is exactly what it looks like. How she planned each stroke that catches the light in such a way that the waves are actually moving while you move.

BRAVO to Karen! You've opened up a new world for me. Who would have thought of only using black and white and the direction of the strokes determines how the light catches it and creates the painting!

Thursday, October 1, 2009