Hot off the easel…

Finally, I have finished this one! Nearly a week because there are many layers of paint overlaid very thinly and each layer had to dry before application of the next. My painting relationship with this piece was a mix of excitement and disappointment. All started out fine. It was looking good, just a little flat… then at one point, in trying to create some contrast, I ruined it (hating that), but got back in the studio the next evening and after some more scumbling and glazing, brought the piece back to where I liked it for the most part.

What I would change about this painting if I could: the color scheme would have felt more natural for me as a monochromatic piece (eliminate the blue tones).

What I love about this painting: the branch in the lower left corner is the result of a dramatic mistake. Using GAC 100 instead of glazing medium to thin the white wash made it dry too fast and I almost couldn’t remove any of it. That removal process left a stark contrast between the black base and the white wash overlay which disturbed me at first, but as I worked on other parts of the painting, my eyes kept being drawn back to that amazing little mistake.

Flora, 2008, acrylic on canvas—24” x 24”