Pages

Sunday, April 03, 2011

Anatomy of a Painting


When I whined to my friends about how I've stopped painting they challenged me to create 4 paintings based on my trip to San Miguel.


It really clicked for me that having that goal would get me moving again.


So these are details from the painting I just finished.


I started by painting the beautiful Vermillion Flycatcher that I kept seeing in the big tree overlooking our patio.


I've been loving my watercolors again both in my journal and otherwise.


After I painted it I cut it out with a knife which gave me a stencil as well as the painted positive.


Scraped the plaster and paint off an older cradled board that I deemed not worth saving.


And glued down the watercolored image as well as walnut ink spraying the stencil onto the plaster. Glued down collage papers, then a layer of encaustic medium and some pigmented medium. This is how it looked when I went to bed last night.


This morning I made more medium and worked to unify the elements. I put in the hornizonals remembering the warm ochre wall that surrounded our casa.


Little by little I added more elements. Clear shellac tinted with powdered pigment and gold, incisions, oil glazes.



This is the finished painting: 20 x 24 inches on a deep cradled panel. Gold foil went on last.


My favorite parts are the yellow post-it notes that John wrote out for me before our trip trying to teach me some Spanish phrases. So painting #1 is completed. Ruth and Jenny are proud of me!

27 comments:

  1. This is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  2. You pretty much rock Judy!!! I love it! I am proud and not at all surprised. :) Love that birdie too♥
    Now you've got me inspired!
    Love to you,
    Jenny

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, we are very proud, and INSPIRED :) Thanks for the peek behind the scenes of your progression. Love this, and can't wait to see #'s 2, 3 & 4!
    xoxoxo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jennifer White9:32 PM

    Absolutely delectable, Judy...one of these days we'll connect and finally get to another class with you...such inspiration...and really great photography showing the detail! xo

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a gorgeous reminder of a great time that you had.
    Very inspiring.

    ReplyDelete
  6. You are spreading inspiration just like hot wax. A beautiful piece and thanks for sharing a bit of your process.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your painting is beautiful and thank you for sharing your step by step process.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It is a stunning piece and what a great reminder, your bird is wonderful and the sticky notes are a great addition, they lend texture and a good vibe about the trip... bravo!

    ReplyDelete
  9. SO yummy Judy!! Absolutely gorgeous - and you have every cell in my body itching to be settled into my studio, focused on a goal and painting, too! Soon, soon, but until then I have my journal, and I will go to it :) thank you, xox k

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh how clever! No you shouldn't stop painting! Darn I hate waiting until June for that book of yours to come out!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am proud of you too. And in awe and inspired by you too. Thank you for sharing that glorious process with us. Makes my fingers itch for the brush....
    Love you !

    ReplyDelete
  12. my gosh that painting has somehow really caught my breath!

    ReplyDelete
  13. BEAUTIFUL, Judy!!! Thanks for sharing all the steps you took!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Just beautiful-love the little birds!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love it! Now I'm inspired to create a painting...with a bird in it!

    ReplyDelete
  16. a wonderful piece Judy! love all your close ups. please let me know next time you do a workshop in your studio. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Amazing, as always. I could look at this for hours, so much here.. Can't wait to see your book. For some reason I'm having trouble with the pre-order link, but I'm looking forward to learning more of your magic.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wow! Amazing work! You've inspired me to get going on some painting as well.
    Denise :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The color and free spirit is amazing. Inspiring especially since you were experiencing a block (of sorts). Wonderful sharing and very encouraging.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love it! Gee- I MUST take a class from you.... someday? I just love this type of stuff you are doing!

    ReplyDelete
  21. If a person say she has no words, that's kind of dumb because she's saying stuff about not saying stuff.

    I cannot STAND how beautiful that flycatcher is. I must have it. I will give it only flies, gnats, flying things that are smaller than its head, and fruit. if I find flying fruit, I'll give it that, too. no fruitflies, though, because that's just going overboard.

    I feel confident that, being so late to every single post that you write, I am welcome to write as much as I want to in my comment. This is something I tell myself when the painting you've shown me is too beautiful for words.

    ReplyDelete
  22. i'm so proud of you too, judy! thank you for some creative ideas and for sharing your process.
    love you sweet woman!
    xo + smiles~ jill

    ReplyDelete
  23. A friend sent me a link to this post. Your work is absolutely beautiful. Wonderful texture and color.

    ReplyDelete
  24. the beautiful Vermillion Flycatcher!

    !!!!!

    oh my goooodness!

    :-)


    i am over here
    counting the days
    until the plaster workshop...

    counting
    counting
    counting


    PS--i like how you put in
    the yellow sticky notes, too...
    in my last mixed-media piece
    i put in the label
    from some ''skinny jeans''
    as a Silent Prayer of Thanksgiving
    to the Skinny Jean Goddess
    who allows me to continue to fit
    into
    my
    fav
    jeans.


    it seemed only fair...

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oh those textures are so yummy! Good for you for pushing through and painting again! It is funny how hard that is and how that doesn't make any sense to non-artists. Three cheers for you!!!! Thanks for taking the time to photograph each stage and show us some of your process! Hugs to you dear!

    ReplyDelete
  26. This is stunning. I love that you show the progression through the layers and that bird is gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete