Three Pears on Green Marble Table – 11×14 Oil Painting on Linen Panel
Still life of pears on ornate table by Winifred.
I love textures paintings – as you know but they are far more difficult capture photographically than are relatively smooth paintings.
… and below, one more painting to share, a simple vase on a linen scarf.
Still life oil painting of vase on scarf by Winifred
Man with Dread Locks – 11×14 Oil on Gessoed Board
Oil Painting Portrait of Man with Dread Locks by Winifred Whitfield
I don’t often paint men’s portraits but I was inspired. I photographed him years ago in New York. He is a photographer and was working outside on a street corner with a client. He was a bit disoriented when I stopped him and ask if I could take a couple of quick shots of him! What was I thinking!! I certainly don’t normally interrupt a photographer at work to request a photo. He wanted to say “no” but I ask him very nicely. In the other image, he has a big smile and it is a great smile. I almost painted the other one, and for sure I prefer not to paint smiling portraits. It was fun to paint him and especially his hair. In painting this portrait, I used my fingers ( first time for that), a palette knife and a brush for fine details.
8×8 Oil on Gessoed Board – Apple Impasto Painting
I’m enjoying painting with thick paint – even as simple as an apple. I only purchased one of these apples. It was a variety I’d never seen before. It passed all my requirements for taste and texture – it was so crisp and sweet. This is my way of sharing it’s deliciousness!
Impasto Oil Painting Still Life by Winifred
Vase and Fruit Still Life – Oil on Linen – 11×14
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Soon we’ll get to start all over again and hopefully make 2018 meaningful to ourselves and those we love.
I am constantly challenged by painting. I didn’t think I would get another painting completed this year but here it is 5 a.m. New Years Eve and I have two new paintings completed!! I decided to paint the vase from the still life first – as a stand alone – just incase I couldn’t get the more complex still life finished in time.
Below is the full still life painting as set up in my studio. You can see in it the vase I painted above. I can now eat the Mandarine oranges.
11×14 Still life Oil Painting – Vase and Fruit by Winifred
I’ve been studying some of the techniques and painting products of the old masters and have incorporated some of these products into my work. Not only is the painting surface textured but my paint is made and mixed with products now, which give me an entirely different brush stroke look. I love it!! It’s so interesting. I made 3 new painting oils this past week as well. It is complex to do but I remain fascinated.
Sincerely, in 2018, I am wish you the healthiest, happiest and most prosperous new year ever. Thank you for sharing this very special past 6 months as I began to paint with oils. Winifred
Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah to all!!
I realize this post should lead with a pretty holiday themed painting – but alas! NO!! I think such paintings are pretty, but best left to others to paint. I’ve always been that way. I actually feel a little badly about it. However, I just wait out those guilty feelings and soon the holiday is over and all is well again.
In addition to the linen covered panels, I told you, Ive been making, I’ve now also made my own hand made oil paints. It’s pretty exciting to grind oil and pigment powder to make paint.
Still Life by Winifred Whitfield with First Handmade Oil Paints
This gives me full control over what’s in my paint and it’s consistency. To test my new paints, I did this quick little painting with paints I made. “Two Vases and a Grape”. It is a little odd looking, isn’t it.The scale of things seem a bit off – but it’s really what I set up. I like the fact that you can’t really tell what’s going on. What is the vase on, and what’s beneath that and why is the other partial vase sitting off to to right – and one grape! If any of these questions arose when this came into view. – I was successful. I also find the shapes and values interesting.
But that’s not all I’ve been doing! On my stove – even as we speak – there is a large quantity of oil boiling, which I’m refining to use with my oils when painting and to use when making handmade paints. I did not know I was this kind of person. I’ve spent 4 hours today so far, almost literally watching a liter of oil boil in 8 liters of water, sand and salt. After this cleaning process is complete – which it is not yet, I will oxygenate the oil further for several days with a little aquarium pump. The idea is to produce a thicker, cleaner, less yellowing, faster drying linseed oil for my oil painting – in the style of the “old masters”. Such oil can not be found commercially today in art stores, though some version may soon be introduced.
Even though there is not a card, I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy Chanukah!
9×12 Oil on Gessoed Board
It’s been a few months since I painted this portrait. It’s taken a while to obtain necessary permissions. I have that now and with pride, I show you this lovely 14 year old young lady.
Portrait Oil Painting by Winifred
8×10 Oil Painting on Custom Oil Primed Linen/Tempered Hardboard
I am increasing becoming involved in what I paint on. During the past several weeks, guided by Ted Spurgeon’s October 2017, 11th edition book “Living Craft”, I’ve been upping the complexity of my painting supports. The painting below, however, is painted on a new surface I made – oil primed linen on tempered board Previously, it took a few hours to prepare 30 boards fully. Now the process for preparing a few linen panel can take a week. I do this because I love this highly textured appearance it gives me. I actually purchased 3 different textures of linen. I am most excited about the rougher one. One can purchase primed linen, ready to adhere from art supply stores – but not like mine. In the two paintings below, you see the texture of the linen panel, and the texture of the brush work thereby creating exciting surfaces. Please let me know what you think of this look. It is very different from the polished reflective surfaces I showed you last week. Thank you. Winifred
Still Life of Bowl,Twig and Pecans, by Winifred Whitfield
8×8 Oil Paintings on Primed Panel
Still life with silver goblet and other by Winifred
Silver Goblet with Antique Bowl, Purple Brass Trimmed Glass and Grapes
I find the purple, the gold, the silver the reds, give such a sense of elegance and formality. I enjoy the light, the bounced shadows and the little details. Often I stay away from these kinds of details, but in this case, I think it strengthens and supports the story and setting for this still life.
Below: Silver Sugar Bowl with Mandarin Oranges and Grapes
Still life by Winifred Whitfield
In this painting, I used looser brush strokes and increases paint texture, the reflections are vivid. Notice the ring of “five” Mandarin oranges. Reflections count in design and composition.
9×12 Gesso Gessoed Panel
VanGogh said “there is no blue without orange and without yellow”
VanGogh Inspired Sunflowers by Winifred
It’s no secret – I love sunflowers and love to paint them. My fresh bouquet was on it’s last leg. I knew I had to do something immediately – they wouldn’t last through a painting, so I photographed them. I proceeded to paint a perfectly decent painting, looked at it and found it “so boring”. Then I thought of Van Gogh’s sunflowers which were never boring. I knew, I couldn’t use one of his sunflowers paintings even as a general reference because if I did I would paint what I saw. While that is great for practice, it was not my mission – I am eternally searching for my artistic voice!! I did refresh myself on some of his other bouquets, however. Do you know how amazing his paintings are!! Of course you do.
I decided to change my colors from the beige and brown and gold – to the above. I remembered his quote. Each step was scary – the potential to really screw up was big – so, I simply envisioned what I wanted to create and proceeded boldly but cautiously. I’m pretty satisfied with the result. I will change things a bit. I always do, once I sit with a painting for a while – the flaws just jump out so clearly.
Belated Happy Thanksgiving! 9×12 Oil Painting on Canvas Panel
I hope it was a good day for you, however you choose to spend it.
Still lifes are always a great “go to” for me, when I don’t know what else I might enjoy painting. I decided to make this one a bit more complex and to paint this faceted coffee pot I recently acquired. I have 3 pieces from this set and might paint them collectively in one still life someday.
I enjoy the color, light, texture and movement in this painting. I hope you do also. Warmly, Winifred