Hydrangeas in Fall Oil Painting 16×20 – by Winifred Whitfield
I cut these hydrangeas from a large bush last week in a friends yard in Seattle. The flower heads were huge and most were beginning to dry on the bush. Hydrangeas turn many beautiful colors in fall. I didn’t try to capture that color exactly, instead opting for the blues, purples and reds of early summer – mainly because I already had the several gradients of paint colors mixed that I need for blues, purples, greens and reds. I’ll do the other colors some other time.
Believe it or not, I still have more to do on my mom’s portrait. I saw a problem with her nose and I need to correct it. Overtime, something new might reveal itself to me, and I’ll keep making the corrections until I feel it’s all done. Have a wonderful week.
Another black man was killed in May around the same time as the George Floyd killing. The police lied, said death was due to a drug overdose. Now the video and documents reveal a major cover up by the entire police department and I believe the District Attorney as well. He had been suffocated. I want this to end.
I’ll miss Ruth Bader Ginsburg – a great lady – a great Supreme Court Judge.
Hydrangeas in Watering Can. Oil Painting 16×16 on Panel – by Winifred Whitfield
It’s cloudy and the air is harmful to breathe in my town of Poulsbo,WA and in the entire Seattle area. I awoke to a golden cloudy sky – not a good sign. I content myself with painting pretty flowers.
We’re headed out of summer, though summer in art never ends.
Mother – Oil Painting 16×20 on Linen Panel – by Winifred Whitfield
It was Mother’s Day 2014 when I took this last photo of my mom. She passed some months later. She holds the roses she’d received; she’s wearing the sly smile so familiar and the little diamond necklace, but otherwise the details have been altered. It was difficult to paint this portrait , to be able to look at it and to recognize and to “feel” the person, whom I loved and who loved me all my life.
She was a great lady. She taught first grade for 40 years and loved it. I was a child when she went away to school several summers completing a few courses each year, working toward, then completing a Masters Degree in Education. That prompted me to decide I would get 2 Masters Degrees – though not in education. I didn’t know at the time how fortunate I was. My parents always owned a home and two cars. Her parents always owned a home as well. I always knew I would be well supported and my education would be paid for. I took this security for granted. I thought at the time it normal to complete high school and then college as prerequisite to even thinking about a job. It’s funny, but actually a little sad that my first job was with a State Employment Security Division, Youth Opportunity Center, whose sole purpose was finding jobs for teenagers. I could not understand why the high school grads and drop outs were looking for work; they hadn’t finished college! I learned about lifestyles very different from mine. Within a year or so, I headed to grad school.
My mom provided me with unconditional love and support. Without limitation, I was told I could be anything I wanted to be. Race was not even discussed as a limitation. My self esteem has always been in tact. Without exception, I saw and still see segregationist and racist, as very ignorant people. I was born in the South but it doesn’t matter – racism is and always has been everywhere in this country. To judge by skin color really is pretty stupid. With my mom, I always felt I had a safety net.
I loved my mom. I miss her, but all that she did and all that she gave continues to live on.
Man with Red Umbrella – 16×20 Oil Painting on Panel by Winifred
Not a single floral this time! At some point, and very soon, I will post the entire collection of my paintings from Venice – I have many favorites. The image above has been posted before, I am posting it now because I am sure many have not seen it, and because I don’t have a new painting ready this week. I’ve been working on 2 paintings simultaneously – and neither is complete. I’ve been slow because I wanted each layer to dry before continuing to paint and because it has been a very busy week with other matters. Below, however, you can see what I’ve started. Hopefully, I’ll get them finished next week – not sure, both have a long way to go.
There are many painters who could get to this stage rather quickly, because they paint fast – which I don’t, or they may trace a photo onto a panel, or use a projector to project an image onto a canvas to trace or even print images on canvas with a printer. I only recently learned about this. The most I use as an external aid, is to create a 9 section grid on my photo and then loosely the same grid spacing on my panel, to help me accurately place the content of my reference. Before I create the grid on the photo, I often spend a substantial amount of time creating the actual reference I want to paint. I manipulate the photo substantially to alter or adjust the photo content as I want it to appear. I adjust the location of photo elements, the size, perspective, color. Ultimately my reference photo is not the photo I start with. It is very handy to determine these things before I begin painting rather than blundering along using the original unaltered photo trying to make changes to it “on the fly”.
Below, is the sketch painting phase of my first Gondola and driver with passengers. Hopefully the reason for this choice will become clear when complete.
There are many short cuts artist can use these days in the painting process which speed them alone to galleries or clients, but I tend to stick with the long and time consuming way of doing things. It’s just my way and sometimes it is tedious. I could even add more squares to my grid, to aid in capturing the proper placement of the reference image but I prefer the practice of increasing my ability of doing this from site. You’d be surprised how challenging it is. Some day, I may speed up my processes. Bye for now. Winifred
It was two years ago when I visited Venice with a friend from New York. I have now completed a 6 painting series of “Venice at Night”, primarily in the rain. I most enjoy creating figurative paintings which you can feel and which tell stories. I think I have a few such paintings here. During the process, I got to experience the magic of Venice again.
Venice in the Rain 16×20 Oil Painting Panel – by WinifredTwo Women Walking in the Rain in Venice – 12×16 Oil Painting on Panel by Winifred WhitfieldLady with Umbrella and Others 16×20 on Linen Panel by WinifredWindow Shopping at Night in Venice – 16×20 Oil Painting on Panel by Winifred WhitfieldLady in Rain in Venice at night. 12×16 Oil Painting on Panel by Winifred Whitfield
To complete the series, I include below the first painting I started with – previously posted. The location is Murano, Italy and during the day.
Weather in Murano 12×16 Oil Painting by Winifred
I hope you enjoy these images. Soon I will commence images of the canals and Gondolas.
Winifred Whitfield discussed her upcoming class beginning May 2nd at Digital Art Academy, Renoir Inspired – Part 1. She reviews the Ultimate Impressionist brush category she has created and is provided to Part 1 of this class. She will demonstrate Auto Painting techniques for creating an impressionist look in backgrounds and overlays. She will demonstrate the use of Fractal Patterns to create dramatic lighting effects in Painter. Students will create these resources and utilize these techniques to create simple impressionist looking paintings. One such painting will be that of water lilies.
In an endeavor to improve my blog, to increase it;s frequency and quality of content, some upgrades have been made. these upgrades unfortunately will remove you as a subscriber. I kindly request that you return to my site to enter your email address to resubscribe. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but I plan to make the changes beneficial to you. thank you in advance. Winifred
“MATISSE INSPIRED” Registration is open NOW!! Class starts September 1st, 2014
Instructor: Winifred Whitfield
There will be a class limit of 25 so please register soon. I am very excited. This is going to be so much fun for me and for you. It has been difficult – as you can imagine not showing you any of the images I have been painting both for my own practice and as examples but now I can begin to share a few with you. You won’t be creating my images, you will be creating your very own. They can be as simple or complex as you like. This image shows the themes, however, for the 3 weeks of class.
Lisa Phipps Sitting on her new CONCRETE Raised Beds with her Dog Lola
It was the scheduled photo session for Dee Cappola’s photos session and she chose Lisa and Frank Phipps’ farm and Gardens for the session. What a beautiful venue it is – not only the setting but the borrowed view as well as the unique structures, planting areas, and unique structures throughout the 10 acre property along with the her favorites the chickens and her dogs.
A Golden Polish Top Hat
I think the chickens in so many varieties are her favorites.
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The chickens are looked upon by Lola with great interest.
