Bringing a Painting to Life

If you can imagine one of those animated flip books that we had as kids, then you will imagine how this painting came to life.

First I covered the entire canvas with warm colours, making such no white was showing.

Next, I mixed up some paint for my sky, and worked on the negative shapes of the background, which in turn defines your positive leaf shapes. This was a bit of a mind game. It was also rather exhausting and took a long time. Slowly the painting started to come to life.

Once the leaves took shape, I danced back and forth between the background and the foreground.

At some point I decided that I wanted to add a bird into the painting, so I made a nice space for him to perch on a stem.

Adding the blue bird gave the painting more character.
Then many many more dabs and brush marks and dah, dah....

"Fall Palette", 20 x 16", acrylic on canvas

To see more, please visit my online gallery

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Using Photos for Reference

I wanted to show you how I take photographs and use them for references for my paintings.

I usually have a camera with me, ready to take the shot.
I was drawn to the simplicity of this photo - the understated beauty of the prairies.

When it came time to teach a class at the Chapel Gallery on "Barns, Elevators and Old Sheds", I knew which image I would use for my demo painting.

I felt the foreground needed some motion. I came across this photo. I liked the movement that it offered.

Using the two photos for reference only, this is my interpretation.

To see more "Prairie Whispers", please visit my online gallery.

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan