Whats up...

It's been a busy 5 months: since leaving Calgary in June I 've gone from  Portugal to Florence, spent 2 days on  boat sailing to Elba, took a one week workshop in Madrid, visited Dehli, Udaipur, Jaipur and the Taj Mahal in India where I was so  overwhelmed I spent the following weekend in Milan recovering. I have been working on a number of portrait commissions and experimenting with new approaches (to painting) and new subject matter (landscapes) all in a new format (small). Here is some of what I have been up to:

Ritratto di Stephana

Rachel (piambura study)

Pomodoro e Aglio

Moinho da Apulia

Ami

This is the study for the project I am finishing up:

Mary

I can't let you see the final version until the client does!!

Vancouver Demo

On Friday May 4th at 2pm I will be giving a demo on the process I use to paint a portrait from a photo.
If you or anyone you know is in the Vancouer area, come by and say hi.
http://opusartsupplies.com/how/demos/painting-portrait-photograph

  

Resurrection of a Painting - Part Three

After deciding upon an image (see part two) and collecting reference I began the drawing for the final painting. I started with a harmonic armature within which I placed the figure and other elements. An armatures can help to create order amongst the various various elements and to the whole:

After transferring this to the canvas the wash drawing was begun:

The reference came from many different places. I took photos of my friend and student Juan Pablo:

Drew Struzen's Star Wars posters have wonderful renderings of light effects. They really are a modern interpretation of halos.  Illustrator Mike Sass uses similar effects on his art for the Star Wars game Knights of the Old Republic:

For sky, drapery and flag I looked to Titian:

I found this image of a lake in Alberta and used it as a source for the rocks at front:

For the clouds, Cagnacci's Assumption of Mary Magdalene:

The broken gates I borrowed from Casper David Friedrich:

The cross comes from San Filipo Neri church in Florence:

And the Hubble space telescope provided the cosmos:

Mix it all up and shake real hard:

Anastasis 

The final painting is now in the private collection of His Eminence Mauro Cardinal Piacenza in Vatican City.

Little Known Treasures of Florence -Part One

Santa Margherita dei Cerchi, Florence

Also known as Dante's and Beatrice's church, it contains this beautiful painting, The Wedding of Beatrice by Raffealo Sorbi:

New Palette

I have been experimenting with a new restricted palette that gives results I like:

Titanium White ( Michael Harding) - I also like Cremnitz White but supplies are non existent these days.

Permanent Lemon Yellow (Maimeri) - a nice light, bright yellow which, when mixed with red, gives a nice highlight for skin colour.

Roman Ochre  (Zecchi) - A rich ochre that when mixed with red gives a beautiful flesh colour.

Cadmium Red Light (Windsor and Newton)  - A bright, light red.

Burnt Umber  (Old Holland) - A low chroma orange.

Raw Umber (Michael harding)  - A low chroma yellow/green, the greyest of colours before black.

Ivory Black (Old Holland) - A rich, cool black.

Ultramarine Blue (Old Holland) - works well as the blue on this palette. 

The above portrait of Conor was completed with this new palette.

Santa Trinita, Firenze

I wanted to share the beautiful representation of the Trinity over the main entrance to Santa Trinita in Florence. The church itself was constructed between 1258 - 1280. The Trinity (1593-94) was sculpted by Giovanni Battista Caccini and Pietro Bernini, father of Gian Lorenzo.

Nuit Blanche

The old stories are always the best. From director and cinematographer Arev Manoukian.