You can view the video on Youtube here and you can read more on my other blog here.
Showing posts with label oil painting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oil painting. Show all posts
Monday, October 2, 2017
New plein air landscape video
I've uploaded a new plein air video showing the production of this landscape painting.
You can view the video on Youtube here and you can read more on my other blog here.
You can view the video on Youtube here and you can read more on my other blog here.
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Plein air problems - shed landscape in oil
A couple of weeks ago I did my first watercolour painting. As a subject, I chose to repaint an old plein air oil painting of a rural shed near my home.
My purpose was two-fold: firstly, to have a go at watercolour and, secondly, to fix a few of the problems in the original oil painting.
Here's the original plein air piece, which I did about 13 years ago.
At the time, I was pretty happy with this painting but over the years, I've realised several issues that needed fixing.
The two major issues are a lack of tonal depth – the background is almost as dark and as saturated as the foreground – and the busy brushstrokes and patterns of light and dark over-complicate the scene and reduce the visual impact.
I sorted both of those problems out in the much cleaner and much simpler watercolour painting.
Yesterday, I decided to re-do the painting in oil, paying attention to those same problems and trying not to make the same mistakes again.
While the finished oil painting is far more detailed than the watercolour painting (and took considerably longer to do), those details retain a sense of unity with their surroundings. The overall contrast, especially of the shed against the background, is much improved from the original.
The tonal pattern of the new painting also provides much better visual impact than the original plein air work. To compare the two, try squinting at them until you only see light and dark. The new painting delivers a much stronger pattern.
I also added a subtle path as a lead in and to break up the large foreground area which would otherwise be a major slab of green. The path carries some of the earthy shed colour down into the lower right corner which helps to create a colour harmony. The distant fruit trees perform a similar role.
You might also note I have dropped that wooden crate from the front of the shed. In reality, the crate is no longer there and I prefer it this way, so I left it out.
Although the final painting is substantially different in effect when compared to the original, it retains a genuine sense of place and I'm sure anyone who is familiar with the location would readily recognise it.
My purpose was two-fold: firstly, to have a go at watercolour and, secondly, to fix a few of the problems in the original oil painting.
Here's the original plein air piece, which I did about 13 years ago.
Barker Shed
35x25cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
At the time, I was pretty happy with this painting but over the years, I've realised several issues that needed fixing.
The two major issues are a lack of tonal depth – the background is almost as dark and as saturated as the foreground – and the busy brushstrokes and patterns of light and dark over-complicate the scene and reduce the visual impact.
I sorted both of those problems out in the much cleaner and much simpler watercolour painting.
Barker Shed
30x21cm watercolour on Arches medium.
© Andy Dolphin
Yesterday, I decided to re-do the painting in oil, paying attention to those same problems and trying not to make the same mistakes again.
Barker Shed
30x25cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
While the finished oil painting is far more detailed than the watercolour painting (and took considerably longer to do), those details retain a sense of unity with their surroundings. The overall contrast, especially of the shed against the background, is much improved from the original.
The tonal pattern of the new painting also provides much better visual impact than the original plein air work. To compare the two, try squinting at them until you only see light and dark. The new painting delivers a much stronger pattern.
I also added a subtle path as a lead in and to break up the large foreground area which would otherwise be a major slab of green. The path carries some of the earthy shed colour down into the lower right corner which helps to create a colour harmony. The distant fruit trees perform a similar role.
You might also note I have dropped that wooden crate from the front of the shed. In reality, the crate is no longer there and I prefer it this way, so I left it out.
Although the final painting is substantially different in effect when compared to the original, it retains a genuine sense of place and I'm sure anyone who is familiar with the location would readily recognise it.
Friday, September 1, 2017
Trying watercolour - a first attempt
Before I left Perth to move to the country, around 14 years ago, I bought some watercolours, brushes and a pad of watercolour paper , with the expectation that I might start doing some plein air watercolour paintings.
It never happened.
Since buying them, the paint tubes have remained unopened.
I recently discovered the Youtube channel of British watercolour artist Tim Wilmot, where he methodically demonstrates his approach to loose, semi-abstracted representational painting. It's a style of watercolour I have always liked and his demonstrations make it look possible.
So, with my new-found enthusiasm for watercolour, I dug out an old plein air oil painting - which has it fair share of issues - and decided to repaint it in watercolour while fixing some of those issues along the way.
In the hope it wouldn't be complete disaster, I also decided to video my progress. And since it wasn't a complete disaster, I edited the video and uploaded it to Youtube.
I hope, soon, to do an updated studio oil version of the original plein air painting. It will be interesting to compare the results.
It never happened.
Since buying them, the paint tubes have remained unopened.
I recently discovered the Youtube channel of British watercolour artist Tim Wilmot, where he methodically demonstrates his approach to loose, semi-abstracted representational painting. It's a style of watercolour I have always liked and his demonstrations make it look possible.
So, with my new-found enthusiasm for watercolour, I dug out an old plein air oil painting - which has it fair share of issues - and decided to repaint it in watercolour while fixing some of those issues along the way.
In the hope it wouldn't be complete disaster, I also decided to video my progress. And since it wasn't a complete disaster, I edited the video and uploaded it to Youtube.
I hope, soon, to do an updated studio oil version of the original plein air painting. It will be interesting to compare the results.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Tangled Web: studio oil painting
Here's number two in my "year of the tree" series.
This group of white gums sits on a farm a few kilometres from home.
While I was initially taken in by the view to the Stirling Range, I was also interested in the patterns created by the twisting trunks and tangled branches and the umbrella-shaped leaf canopies that are typical of many large eucalypts.
As with my last painting, I wanted to capture the strong feeling of sunlight, not only as it played directly across the trunk, branches and leaves of the central tree, but also as it reflected onto the shaded side of the trunk and the undersides of the branches. In fact the shaded branches in the upper canopy have a younger, reddish bark that positively glows with the warmth and strength of that reflected light.
Although they run cattle on this property, I wanted something understated to help balance the image so I added three sheep to the left side. The fence post is also the result of some artistic licence.
This group of white gums sits on a farm a few kilometres from home.
While I was initially taken in by the view to the Stirling Range, I was also interested in the patterns created by the twisting trunks and tangled branches and the umbrella-shaped leaf canopies that are typical of many large eucalypts.
As with my last painting, I wanted to capture the strong feeling of sunlight, not only as it played directly across the trunk, branches and leaves of the central tree, but also as it reflected onto the shaded side of the trunk and the undersides of the branches. In fact the shaded branches in the upper canopy have a younger, reddish bark that positively glows with the warmth and strength of that reflected light.
Although they run cattle on this property, I wanted something understated to help balance the image so I added three sheep to the left side. The fence post is also the result of some artistic licence.
Tangled Web
60x40cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
As before, that shadow colour on the main trunk looked like mud until the bright highlight was placed alongside it. It's quite unnerving to have it sitting there looking "wrong" but I'm sure I'll learn to trust it after painting a few more of these trees.
The trick with something like that is to trust the tone. You need to get that right or it will never work.
Start with what you consider to be the true "local" colour of the bark – a pale ochre in this case – then darken and cool it to the correct tone. Then you will need to add some reflected light into the mix for some parts of the tree. That reflected-light colour is dictated by the area surrounding the tree.
It can seem like a bit of a battle mixing a colour that is both warm and cool, but this approach should get you in the ballpark. Add variety to the bark with some slightly warmer and slightly cooler colours, and it will start to take form.
The trick with something like that is to trust the tone. You need to get that right or it will never work.
Start with what you consider to be the true "local" colour of the bark – a pale ochre in this case – then darken and cool it to the correct tone. Then you will need to add some reflected light into the mix for some parts of the tree. That reflected-light colour is dictated by the area surrounding the tree.
It can seem like a bit of a battle mixing a colour that is both warm and cool, but this approach should get you in the ballpark. Add variety to the bark with some slightly warmer and slightly cooler colours, and it will start to take form.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Organised Chaos: studio oil painting
I think I've decided to make 2017 the year of the tree, at least as far as painting goes.
Some of my earliest subjects, when I began pursuing fine art, were the karri trees of the southwest. These are among the tallest trees in the world and I produced quite a few paintings where karris were the star.
But in recent years I haven't really used trees as a focal point. Sure, they've been there in the landscape but, since the karri paintings, I have rarely studied trees as a subject in their right.
First cab off the rank for my "year of the tree" is a studio painting of a group of whitegums, or wandoo, which I found on a farm not far from home.
Whitegums are endemic to Western Australia and have a beautiful creamy, honey-coloured and mottled-grey bark that positively glows in light or shade. Older whitegums, especially those in exposed positions, have a tendency to lose limbs over the years and to twist and turn as the elements take their toll.
With branches snaking in all directions as they compete for light, and sometimes falling to the floor or getting hung up in other branches, the trees take on a kind of organised chaos in their constant struggle to survive.
In this painting, I attempt to capture some of that chaos by looking at the base of a group of whitegum trunks. I don't know if this is one tree that divided early in its life, or if three separate trees have survived for years huddled together. I suspect the former.
At 60cm x 40cm, this painting is somewhat bigger than the paintings I was doing leading up to my recent hiatus. The larger surface gave me the opportunity to explore the seemingly random pattern of branches in the tree canopy.
One important achievement in this piece was to get a sense of the reflected light illuminating the shaded sides of the trunks. Those are interesting colours to mix because they look like dark mud on the palette and yet have a warm glow about them when placed in context in the painting. The "mud" really came to life when the bright highlights were added to edge of the tree trunks.
Some of my earliest subjects, when I began pursuing fine art, were the karri trees of the southwest. These are among the tallest trees in the world and I produced quite a few paintings where karris were the star.
But in recent years I haven't really used trees as a focal point. Sure, they've been there in the landscape but, since the karri paintings, I have rarely studied trees as a subject in their right.
First cab off the rank for my "year of the tree" is a studio painting of a group of whitegums, or wandoo, which I found on a farm not far from home.
Whitegums are endemic to Western Australia and have a beautiful creamy, honey-coloured and mottled-grey bark that positively glows in light or shade. Older whitegums, especially those in exposed positions, have a tendency to lose limbs over the years and to twist and turn as the elements take their toll.
With branches snaking in all directions as they compete for light, and sometimes falling to the floor or getting hung up in other branches, the trees take on a kind of organised chaos in their constant struggle to survive.
In this painting, I attempt to capture some of that chaos by looking at the base of a group of whitegum trunks. I don't know if this is one tree that divided early in its life, or if three separate trees have survived for years huddled together. I suspect the former.
Organised Chaos
60x40cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
One important achievement in this piece was to get a sense of the reflected light illuminating the shaded sides of the trunks. Those are interesting colours to mix because they look like dark mud on the palette and yet have a warm glow about them when placed in context in the painting. The "mud" really came to life when the bright highlights were added to edge of the tree trunks.
Monday, March 13, 2017
Eastern Stirlings: studio oil painting
Last year my son Michael and I climbed a number of local mountains. One of those climbs was the walk to the top of Bluff Knoll, the highest point in the southern half of Western Australia.
To the east of Bluff Knoll lies a mountainous wilderness known colloquially as "the ridge walk". Requiring serious bush-walking, navigation and climbing skills it is, by all accounts, a magnificently hellish place to experience.
It's on our list.
It's not near the top of the list, however.
For now, I have to console myself with photos of the region, taken from the ground or from Bluff Knoll.
This painting, showing the view to Ellen Peak at the eastern end of the ridge, is based on mid-afternoon photos I took from the top of Bluff Knoll last September.
I hope to take another look at this same scene once the cooler weather settles in later this year. Early morning or late evening should be spectacular.
To the east of Bluff Knoll lies a mountainous wilderness known colloquially as "the ridge walk". Requiring serious bush-walking, navigation and climbing skills it is, by all accounts, a magnificently hellish place to experience.
It's on our list.
It's not near the top of the list, however.
For now, I have to console myself with photos of the region, taken from the ground or from Bluff Knoll.
This painting, showing the view to Ellen Peak at the eastern end of the ridge, is based on mid-afternoon photos I took from the top of Bluff Knoll last September.
Eastern Stirlings
34x20cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
I hope to take another look at this same scene once the cooler weather settles in later this year. Early morning or late evening should be spectacular.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Drought broken
For the last six months, or more, tracks and paddocks in this region have been turning into streams and lakes. Whilst apparently not record-breaking, it's the most persistent rain we've seen since moving to the area 13 years ago.
But, more importantly, I managed to get out into the studio on Sunday and knock out a painting: my first oil painting in over two years. Yes, the drought has broken.
Devil's View
25x35cm oil on canvas board.
© Andy Dolphin
Inspired by recent traverses into the nearby mountain ranges with my son, this scene begged to be painted the first time I saw it.
The large granite peak sits near the top of the walk to the Devil's Slide in the Porongurup Range. The northern view shows the Stirling Range on the horizon.
To give some indication of the size of the central boulder, the large dark green mass below it is a forest of karri, one of the world's tallest tree species.
In short, it's a big lump of rock.
This is a small 10" x 14" painting on commercial canvas board, a surface I haven't painted on for years. I'm going to let it sit around for a while then possibly do a larger version of the same painting.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Announcing my new blog
Floral fireworks
12.5cm x 22.5cm oil on ply panel.
© Andy Dolphin
12.5cm x 22.5cm oil on ply panel.
© Andy Dolphin
I've had a bit of a break from painting but things have been happening - a lot of it has more to do with antique clocks than painting, but things have been happening.
One big change is that my blog now has a new home on my new website, made by my son Michael Dolphin.
If you have this site bookmarked or memorised, you'll need to change your links, or rewire your neurons, and make note of the new address at andydolphin.com.au/blog/
To launch the new site, I have uploaded a new three-part video to Youtube documenting the painting of a small floral still life in oil.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Denmark Antiques
Brass vase with yellow bouquet
25x30 cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
SOLD
SOLD
I currently have a couple of recent still life paintings for sale at Denmark Antiques, located at 5 Mt Shadforth Road Denmark, Western Australia. They're just down the road from the IGA supermarket.
If you're in the region and want to spend a pleasant half-hour or so browsing through antiques, collectibles and books, you should pop in and take a look. They have some beautiful wares on display.
Valuables
25x30cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Perth Royal Show prize
I'm a little late writing about this, but my painting "Bantam Rooster" took out the Packers' Prize at this year's Perth Royal Show Agricultural Award, after winning the Wagin Woolorama Best Oil or Acrylic plus the Agricultural Award in March.
Bantam Rooster
30x40cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
SOLD
SOLD
Friday, September 12, 2014
More toys - still life oil painting
Here's my latest still life.
The teddy bear, books and candlestick came from a local op-shop, the flowers are synthetic and from a discount shop, and the beads were my daughter's, before she grew up.
I chose the bear because he looked pre-loved and has an expression suggesting he's just a little bit lost in his own world. I found he looked even better when he was sitting just slightly off vertical.
Here's a reminder, too, that the Great Southern Art & Craft Trail starts in just a couple of weeks, on September 27, and runs for two weeks.
I'll have a few paintings out at Manyat Peak Gallery near the Porongurup Range, and will be spending a little bit of time out there painting and meeting visitors. If you're in the region, be sure to pick up a trail map from a visitor centre or gallery, and check out the wide range of work on display.
The teddy bear, books and candlestick came from a local op-shop, the flowers are synthetic and from a discount shop, and the beads were my daughter's, before she grew up.
I chose the bear because he looked pre-loved and has an expression suggesting he's just a little bit lost in his own world. I found he looked even better when he was sitting just slightly off vertical.
Valuables
25x30cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
Here's a reminder, too, that the Great Southern Art & Craft Trail starts in just a couple of weeks, on September 27, and runs for two weeks.
I'll have a few paintings out at Manyat Peak Gallery near the Porongurup Range, and will be spending a little bit of time out there painting and meeting visitors. If you're in the region, be sure to pick up a trail map from a visitor centre or gallery, and check out the wide range of work on display.
Friday, August 22, 2014
Girl's stuff - still life oil painting
Here's my latest still life painting in oil.
The plushy dog, the vase and the sequined shoes are all op-shop bargains.
I haven't really got a title for it yet. If you have any suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comments. (I've renamed it "Treasure" since I first posted it here.)
This was begun as a simple exercise in preparation for a larger painting but I ended up spending quite a bit of time on it. I still think I'll do another version, although I might rearrange a couple of things.
I introduced a range of new colours to my palette for this one, including a violet, sap green, a transparent yellow and two rosey reds. I felt that with a subject like this, I needed some vibrant colours that I wouldn't be able to mix from my standard set.
Treasure
30x25cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
The plushy dog, the vase and the sequined shoes are all op-shop bargains.
I haven't really got a title for it yet. If you have any suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comments. (I've renamed it "Treasure" since I first posted it here.)
This was begun as a simple exercise in preparation for a larger painting but I ended up spending quite a bit of time on it. I still think I'll do another version, although I might rearrange a couple of things.
I introduced a range of new colours to my palette for this one, including a violet, sap green, a transparent yellow and two rosey reds. I felt that with a subject like this, I needed some vibrant colours that I wouldn't be able to mix from my standard set.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
New video - storing wet paintings
For a long time I battled with the problem of what to do with wet oil paintings.
I had a small rack I'd made from a piece of chipboard with some strips of pine screwed to it, but it only held four paintings at a time and there was a risk of the paintings falling off it, face first.
A few months ago I saw a much better solution to the problem...
As always, it's best if you go to Youtube to see the video in higher resolution.
I had a small rack I'd made from a piece of chipboard with some strips of pine screwed to it, but it only held four paintings at a time and there was a risk of the paintings falling off it, face first.
A few months ago I saw a much better solution to the problem...
As always, it's best if you go to Youtube to see the video in higher resolution.
Friday, August 8, 2014
Brass vase and flowers - still life in oil
Here's the latest painting in my "brass on red" series.
As with the other still lifes, I'll probably work a little more on this one after it's dried a bit. I'll also try to get a better photo.
Here's how it looked as just an under-painting.
I liked it so much at this stage, I'm thinking of doing a similar one with orange flowers.
I never intended for this to be a series but I'm enjoying the vivid colours and will probably keep playing with different arrangements until I get bored with them.
NEWDEGATE MACHINERY FIELD DAYS
September 3 and 4, 2014
I entered the Newdegate Machinery Field Days art competition for the first time last year. My wife and I took the 3-plus-hours trip to visit the event and were impressed with the exhibition so I decided I had to enter again.
You'll find Newdegate about 400km south-east of Perth and 50km east of Lake Grace.
If you're anywhere near that region in a few week's time, you really should pay the show a visit. I may even bump into you there.
Brass vase with yellow bouquet
25x30 cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
As with the other still lifes, I'll probably work a little more on this one after it's dried a bit. I'll also try to get a better photo.
Here's how it looked as just an under-painting.
I liked it so much at this stage, I'm thinking of doing a similar one with orange flowers.
I never intended for this to be a series but I'm enjoying the vivid colours and will probably keep playing with different arrangements until I get bored with them.
NEWDEGATE MACHINERY FIELD DAYS
September 3 and 4, 2014
I entered the Newdegate Machinery Field Days art competition for the first time last year. My wife and I took the 3-plus-hours trip to visit the event and were impressed with the exhibition so I decided I had to enter again.
You'll find Newdegate about 400km south-east of Perth and 50km east of Lake Grace.
If you're anywhere near that region in a few week's time, you really should pay the show a visit. I may even bump into you there.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Brass pitcher - oil still life
I bought this stumpy brass pitcher a few weeks ago at the local secondhand shop. I've been itching to paint it ever since.
I polished it last weekend and set it up today with some synthetic flowers and grapes.
I consider this one just unfinished as seen here. I had less time than expected and didn't get to spend as long as I would have liked on some areas. I'll take another look at it later in the week and see if I can tidy it up a little.
I am really enjoying the "brass on red" series. This is the fourth one so far and I've been surprised by where the red reflects each time. This one was particularly interesting as the pitcher reflects itself at the base and features alternating upward and downward facing surfaces. It certainly presented a challenge.
I polished it last weekend and set it up today with some synthetic flowers and grapes.
Short pitcher with flowers - stage 1
25x30cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
I consider this one just unfinished as seen here. I had less time than expected and didn't get to spend as long as I would have liked on some areas. I'll take another look at it later in the week and see if I can tidy it up a little.
I am really enjoying the "brass on red" series. This is the fourth one so far and I've been surprised by where the red reflects each time. This one was particularly interesting as the pitcher reflects itself at the base and features alternating upward and downward facing surfaces. It certainly presented a challenge.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Small floral oil painting
My latest painting is a 9 by 5 inch oil on plywood panel and will be donated to the Plantagenet Community Art Centre to be auctioned in a fundraiser for the facility.
Several local artists and community members have been invited to participate, with all works presented on a similar 9 x 5 panel. Entries will include 2D and 3D work.
The "9 by 5" has a special place in Australian art history as it was the approximate size of cigar box lids favoured as painting surfaces by some artists in the mid-late 1800s. In 1889 the "9 by 5 Impression Exhibition" was held in Melbourne and featured such luminaries as Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton.
My aim here was to produce a fast, loose explosion of bold colour. I already had the image in my mind before I arranged the flowers in the set-up. Set against a dark backdrop and facing in different directions the flowers look, to me, like fireworks.
The 9x5 exhibition opens on Friday night, July 11, and runs for a week at Mitchel House in Mt Barker, WA. Purchase is by silent auction and, with opening prices starting at just $25, I imagine there will be many bargains to be had.
Several local artists and community members have been invited to participate, with all works presented on a similar 9 x 5 panel. Entries will include 2D and 3D work.
The "9 by 5" has a special place in Australian art history as it was the approximate size of cigar box lids favoured as painting surfaces by some artists in the mid-late 1800s. In 1889 the "9 by 5 Impression Exhibition" was held in Melbourne and featured such luminaries as Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton.
Floral fireworks
12.5cm x 22.5cm oil on ply panel.
© Andy Dolphin
12.5cm x 22.5cm oil on ply panel.
© Andy Dolphin
My aim here was to produce a fast, loose explosion of bold colour. I already had the image in my mind before I arranged the flowers in the set-up. Set against a dark backdrop and facing in different directions the flowers look, to me, like fireworks.
The 9x5 exhibition opens on Friday night, July 11, and runs for a week at Mitchel House in Mt Barker, WA. Purchase is by silent auction and, with opening prices starting at just $25, I imagine there will be many bargains to be had.
Monday, June 2, 2014
On the easel - Brass & Bear
Here's my latest still life oil painting in progress. It is the third in a series of paintings featuring polished brass.
This isn't too far from a finished product but I do want to get in and make some refinements. I'll give it a few days to dry then get stuck into it again.
I am loving the reflective brass with the brilliant red tablecloth.
The ceramic bear was found last week in a local op-shop. The rose is synthetic and is one of a bunch that came from a secondhand shop, along with another brass vase that will no doubt show up in a painting soon.
My collection of brass and other oddments is growing quite fast.
All I need now is the time to use them all in paintings.
Brass & bear - stage 1
25x30cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
This isn't too far from a finished product but I do want to get in and make some refinements. I'll give it a few days to dry then get stuck into it again.
I am loving the reflective brass with the brilliant red tablecloth.
The ceramic bear was found last week in a local op-shop. The rose is synthetic and is one of a bunch that came from a secondhand shop, along with another brass vase that will no doubt show up in a painting soon.
My collection of brass and other oddments is growing quite fast.
All I need now is the time to use them all in paintings.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Flowers with brass vase - still life in oil
My latest still life painting features another op-shop treasure. I tried several different arrangements using this round-bottomed, squat brass vase, and finally settled on this one.
As with previous paintings, the flowers are synthetic. This allows me time to experiment with arrangements without worrying about the flowers succumbing to the heat from the lamp. In fact, I can set things up one day and then start the painting days, or even weeks, later without everything wilting and dying.
I'm more interested in composition and colour than the accurate portrayal of particular species of plants, so I have no need for living specimens at this stage.
Interestingly, the most difficult part of this painting was polishing the vase. It was very tarnished but had a lacquer coating that was impervious to lacquer thinners and had to be removed with lots of elbow grease and car polish.
Flowers with brass vase
25x30cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
As with previous paintings, the flowers are synthetic. This allows me time to experiment with arrangements without worrying about the flowers succumbing to the heat from the lamp. In fact, I can set things up one day and then start the painting days, or even weeks, later without everything wilting and dying.
I'm more interested in composition and colour than the accurate portrayal of particular species of plants, so I have no need for living specimens at this stage.
Interestingly, the most difficult part of this painting was polishing the vase. It was very tarnished but had a lacquer coating that was impervious to lacquer thinners and had to be removed with lots of elbow grease and car polish.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Yellow flower with brass - still life in oil
I set this up a couple of weeks ago and just got around to painting it this afternoon. The flower is synthetic - the brass is solid. You might remember the tall Indian brass ewer from a couple of months ago. I now have quite a collection of brass, pewter and silver-plate, all waiting for their turn in a still life.
My intent here was to treat this as an exercise in saturated colour and tonal separation. I wasn't trying for a finished painting but with a little more work after it's dried, it just might end up in a frame.
After marking the approximate location of the three main shapes, I roughed in the darkest shadow areas then methodically filled in mid tones, shadows then highlights.
I gave little thought to the objects as "things" and paid attention only to the relative values, hues and colour temperatures of adjacent areas.
Polished brass is interesting because we think of it as being a warm yellow sort of colour but its surface reflects all the colours around it, warm and cool. I was amazed just how accurately it reflected the red table cloth.
The photo was taken under a combination of incandescent and fluorescent light and I struggled to reduce reflection off the still-wet brush strokes. I guess I need a polarising filter to help with that.
Yellow flower with brass
25x30cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
My intent here was to treat this as an exercise in saturated colour and tonal separation. I wasn't trying for a finished painting but with a little more work after it's dried, it just might end up in a frame.
After marking the approximate location of the three main shapes, I roughed in the darkest shadow areas then methodically filled in mid tones, shadows then highlights.
I gave little thought to the objects as "things" and paid attention only to the relative values, hues and colour temperatures of adjacent areas.
Polished brass is interesting because we think of it as being a warm yellow sort of colour but its surface reflects all the colours around it, warm and cool. I was amazed just how accurately it reflected the red table cloth.
The photo was taken under a combination of incandescent and fluorescent light and I struggled to reduce reflection off the still-wet brush strokes. I guess I need a polarising filter to help with that.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Woolorama wins!
I enjoyed great success at Wagin Woolorama this year, winning three prizes.
My studio painting Bantam Rooster took out first prize in the oil and acrylic category while my plein air painting Narpyn Cottage, winter morning was awarded second prize in the same category.
Bantam Rooster also won the Agricultural Award. This means it will now have to travel to the Perth Royal Show in September to be exhibited and judged with all other Agricultural Award winners from around the state.
Here I am with Woolorama Art Award coordinator Natala King...
The major award went to Perth artist Casss Gartner for her watercolour painting An Early Morning Walk.
My studio painting Bantam Rooster took out first prize in the oil and acrylic category while my plein air painting Narpyn Cottage, winter morning was awarded second prize in the same category.
Bantam Rooster
30x40cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
SOLD
SOLD
Narpyn Cottage, winter morning.
Plein air. 38x35cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
Plein air. 38x35cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
Bantam Rooster also won the Agricultural Award. This means it will now have to travel to the Perth Royal Show in September to be exhibited and judged with all other Agricultural Award winners from around the state.
Here I am with Woolorama Art Award coordinator Natala King...
The major award went to Perth artist Casss Gartner for her watercolour painting An Early Morning Walk.
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