Another revival

Here is another revisit to an old painting. It was originally painted in  February 2008. I think my instincts were good  but of course my technique was less able to translate my vision at the time. So rather than trash the painting, as the subject still seems good , I decided to revive it.


The original was painted in acrylic on canvas. The size is 60 x 80 cm. Nothing fundemental has changed but the play of light is much better now. I still haven't determined exactly how to best treat the patch at the end of the path yet.


 The revival is in oils directly on top of the acrylic which I lighty sanded to roughen the surface and better hold the oils.

The revival is not quite finished yet but the comparison is already telling.

Before ---

After ----

Still going places

Progress on the portrait. Managing to stay loose and rough while bringing out the volumes.

Detail

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60 x 80 cm

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Going places

This painting is really going places, many of which I have not been to before ;) , which is excellent.
The background undercoat is exerting an influence on the development of the painting, which is also as it should be.

I am painting thinner to allow the undercoat to show through in places giving a texture and adding interest to the painting.

Painting after painting I am amazed at the unexpected ways that things develop. So far so good.

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Finishing the shout

I have decided to finish my shout painting. You may remember that it had taken a fall and acquired a small tear in the canvas. I repared the canvas from the back with a small piece of canvas cut off the corner of another canvas and pasted it in with acylic medium. I still have to cover up the evidence in front.





That is the state it stayed in until now.

I am working mostly on the background, sky & sea,  with a few tweaks in the face, but I like the rough look on the features.

(by all means) click on image to see larger

detail

(definitely worth a) click on image to see larger

Village in the clouds - small progress

I have gone forward a little on this painting, continuing to sculpt the forms, not too sharply, to maintain the dreamy feel of the fog and rain. I added some touches of subdued reddish/purple in the shadows of the greenery.

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I have bee painting so far with fast drying alkyd oils, but I think I will finish in regular oils to achieve the hazy transitions on the borders of shapes. The alkyds become tacky fairly fast and if I come back an hour later they don't blend so well.

Mountain village in the rain - progress

I also advanced this one a bit. I bluesed in the farther tree line and began sculpting the closer trees.

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oil on canvas 40 x30 cm

Citroen 2CV - almost finished

Oil on canvas 30 x 25 cm

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I thought it was finished, but I am not happy about the area around the roof of the car, which didn't get as much love as the rest-->

Two new paintings started

I started two new paintings this week.
The first is a scene in a mountain village with low clouds hugging the mountains, and blurry impression with the orange roofs standing out sharply.

The second is of a red Citroen Deux Chevaux (2CV) , emblematic french car of the 20th century sitting in the shade of trees on a summer's day. It is of my "smaller painting" size though on canvas this time, not on wood.


Both paintings have had one session - one to  two hours - each, and will take one or two more sessions to finish.

oil on canvas 40 x 30 cm

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oil on canvas 30 x 25 cm

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Grand Canal - waiting

I don't quite have the courage to call this one finished yet. I've learned that it's best to put aside the painting for a few days when that happens. When I can look at it as a painting, rather than as a painting I am painting, I will be able to tell, probably.

Grand Canal

Oil on canvas 50 x 70 cm

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This type of painting is one I particularly like, where the details are suggested but plenty is left to be filled by the imagination of of the viewer.

Detail

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Grand Canal - raising my pulse

Session 2
This one is really beginning to raise my pulse. The luscious blues with oranges and reds. Can I keep it with this freshness and yet cut out the buildings just a touch more?

Venice has been painted so many times before, but when you've been there, it almost commands you paint it.

oil on canvas 70 x 50 cm

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Detail

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Grand Canal - Session 1 - Up a few sizes

I think I needed to do a bigger painting, judging by my enjoyment putting a first coat on this one. The physical difference is striking. Movements start at the shoulder instead of the wrist. There is a certain tension that builds up with smaller paintings.

Grand Canal - session 1 

Oil on canvas 50 x 70 cm

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and a wide shot to see the size

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Third small painting finished - Walking in the rain

Here is the last of the three small paintings finished. I think it's my preferred one of the three...
(link to painting)

Walking in the Rain

Oil on birch ply

30 x 20 cm

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detail

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3 small paintings - 2 finished

Two of the three small paintings finished. Still a bit to do on the umbrella girl. I will check if I have appropriate frames, and then post them to my Smaller Paintings blog

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click on image to see larger

details

Three small paintings - moving forward

Moving these three paintings forward together.

 

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