Consultation 8x10x1” Oil on gallery wrapped canvas Sold
OK, I finally got my paints out and started painting again. It was difficult to find the right lighting, feeling that I ought to use the overhead fluorescents, as well as a spot light, as I used to do. I looked at my previous paintings and notice that all of them had hard highlights and hard shadows, and decided to try something different this time around to see what resulted.
I used the overheads, and a floor lamp aimed to bounce light off the ceiling. The highlights and cast shadows were softer edged and yet they still defined the shapes. I was conscious of painting loosely, not over-refining the details and surfaces.
This urge to paint coincided yesterday with being approached by a new gallery. I will be joining the ranks of their artists in the fall and winter season, but will be offering my new paintings here first. The gallery was attracted by my quilts first and then decided the paintings should be included too. What a nice encouragement for me.
Speaking of quilts, I uploaded 24 more to the Available Quilts site. Phew!
Very intersting, your use of lighting to change the mood of the piece. Would you mind showing us the difference, i.e. do the same subject, but change the lighting, making one with the hard shadows and edges you're talking about and then doing it again with the softer lighting, and therefore softer shadows and edges. I remember some of the ones you did before, but I'd love to have you do a comparison for us and we all know how much you love to teach! Please! Thank you in advance! Congratulations on the gallery involvement for the fall and winter!
ReplyDeleteWow I want to reach into my screen and pick that luscious fruit right out and eat it! So glad that a muse hit you so quickly. What fun to try different lighting setups. Wonderful choices to keep you interested and flowing!
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed at how the lighting affects your painting style - what a neat thing you talented painter you!
ReplyDeleteAND a big WOOHOO! to the gallery - you're making your "retirement" work for a living! ;-)
Oooh, I like the soft(er) lighting! Less graphic, more painterly. Congratulations on being approached by a new gallery! Quilts and paintings, both? That's wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about letting one or more of the 'subjects' of a painting disappear off the edge (so the viewer sees only half of one of the mangoes, for instance)? I've noticed this in other still lifes, and find the effect interesting.
Congrats on the gallery offer - that's just great.
ReplyDeleteI love the depth in the fruits of this painting. You are really SEEING big-time. Way to go!
:-)
Congratulations, Mel. Your talent has no bounds! So many ways to see the same thing...I love the softer look of this new work!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! The fruits look a lot more inviting than those on your earlier paintings, although I love also those a lot. But now I see that those "metallic" surfaces have something resistant, whereas these don't.
ReplyDeleteOh! Yum!!! Just gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteAnd congratulations on the new gallery!
BRAVO!! WOOHOO!! and CONGRATS!! to you for the gallery has got a winner.
ReplyDeleteI like this lighting and the softness on the painting.
Hey There! I visited you site for available quilts. Fantastic! Any reason why it says "November 2008" at the heading? Great news about the gallery!
ReplyDeleteMel - can I ask what paints you use and your main palette of colours. They are so vibrant.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much
lisa