Breezy

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Sunny and Breezy Day Oil Painting by Winifred Whitfield

It’s pretty photo realistic, I’m aware.. I didn’t intend this and I don’t prefer this as a painting style, as you are well aware by now. I’m a bit surprised it developed in this manner especially when I uses no aids or processes to go from photo to painting. There was no grid, projection or tracing. I looked at the photo, created a soft sketch and then painted. Sometimes it just happens. I think it’s the hair that plays the greatest role in the photographic look. I told you about the dozen brushes or so I modified. I didn’t have to create individual strokes to get the look of freshly combed hair. it’s the brushes I’ll blame. I have another great little brush which allows me to create the individual wispy hairs. It was actually fun – the whole thing.

The photo was taken in my garden when I owned my farm more than 10 years ago. I held a workshop, focused on both photographic shooting techniques and Photoshop editing techniques. It was well attended. This young lady was one of the 2 models hired. I’ve wanted to paint this for quite a while. It’s not often that one captures dramatic backlighting and adequate highlights and shadows in the face. Her shoulders were actually bare. I added a few painterly strokes to create a little shoulder drape just to add some looseness to the painting.Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy.

For sure, next week I will post a portrait painting that looks like a painting. Be well. Winifred

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Hazel Eyes

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Hazel Eyes Oil Painting 9×12 by Winifred Whitfield

I liked her expression and the tilt of her head and I decided to focus solely on that aspect of the reference photo. As usual, it took three full rounds of painting her face and features to get to this point. Another round of painting might be merited but “over painting” most often takes the “life” from a painting. Imperfections can be a good thing. I liked the unfinished look of the hair and in addition added a couple touches of red – just because. I always worry about the color of the images in my my post because the color is never the same as the paintings. I struggle to get it as close as I can. Sometimes it’s close, other times not. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

Have a good weekend. Winifred

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Guitar Player

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Guitar Player (Study) 9×12 oil on panel.

I’m posting this painting to view but I’m well aware this painting didn’t work very well. The energy and expression are flat and the composition is not particularly interesting. The value of this painting is practice, and the likeness is quite good. Many many hours go into practice but no doubt, some paintings are more successful than others. I do love the paint texture itself. The reason I’m getting such interesting paint texture is that I’ve modified a bunch of brushes. I’ve created a dozen brushes or so with jagged edges and missing hairs which gives me all the paint texture. As you see, it looks like paint! I do like that.

There is also an interesting back story to this image. More than 10 years ago there was a major mudslide in the town of OSO, Washington. About 47 homes slid down the hill as a result of clear cutting and days of rain. Sadly, many lives were lost. There was a fund raiser held for the affected community with the fire department task with the distribution of the funds raised. I attended. This man was part of the entertainment for the event. What I loved about the image is the dramatic light.

So far, our weather continues to be very wonderful – at least, it’s my preference. We have. cool nights, 60 and below and I don’t think we hit 80 this past week. Enjoy your weekend. Winifred

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Venice at Night #27

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Venice at Night 27 11×14 Oil Painting by Winifred Whitfield

It was the light which drew me to the photo I chose as a reference for this painting. No umbrella this time. I thought of adding one but such would have significantly affected the patterns of light. I enjoyed playing with painterly brushstrokes and paint texture. Am I finished? Maybe. Hope you enjoy. There’s been no significant heat here as yet, and unseasonably cool nights. Thus far -we’ve experienced below 60 degree nights. I’m in heaven. My strawberries are prolific. That’s my update. All is well. Hope you’re comfortable where you are. Winifred

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The Shopkeeper and His Wife

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The Shopkeeper – 12×16 Oil Painting on Panel by Winifred Whitfield
The Shopkeeper’s Wife – 11×14 Oil Painting by Winifred Whitfield

I think it’s interesting to see the difference in the surfaces of these two paintings. The Shopkeeper’s painting has a softly pebbled and a semi absorbent surface creating significant soft surface texture.

The Shopkeeper’s Wife was painted in sunlight on a smooth and non absorbent surface which allows the paint greater movement. You can see they look entirely different. I made the panel as well as the product I applied to the surface. To create this surface product is quite a bit more time consuming than using conventional products but I’ve decided it’s worth it.

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Sleep Little One

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Sleep Little One – Oil Painting 16×16 by Winifred Whitfield

Children are beautiful when they sleep. This has been a portrait on my list to paint for a very long time. Basically sepia tone, that’s what spoke to me. for this one, in it’s quiet darkened environment. I also love the golden glow of the light and only a hint of the “teddy” was necessary. Hope you enjoy and hope you’re not sweltering. Winifred

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Lady on Hilltop

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Lady on Hilltop Reading 16×20 Oil Painting by Winifred Whitfield

I can’t remember when or if I ever painted clouds before. The original background was a picnic scene – very cluttered but I loved her dress and her back in the photo. I decided to put her high atop a grassy hill. I looked at a YouTube video on painting clouds and decided I’d give it a try, though in a simplified fashion. Then I watched a video on painting grass. I think the colors overall are pretty and it was fun trying something very different.

Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for looking. Winifred Whitfield

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Poised

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Poised, 16×20 Oil Painting on Linen Panel by Winifred Whitfield

This may be the most complex portrait I’ve painted and for me it’s relative large at 16×20. I took my time and enjoyed the many challenges. I’ve had the photo reference for more than a year but decided at that time it was more challenge than I wanted. I was now ready. No doubt, as always, I will make changes for some time to come.

I’m beginning to envision a portrait with 2 people. It will be my first. I will create that photo reference soon. I hope you enjoy today’s post. Winifred

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Green Gold

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Dominican Lady in Green Gold

She was wearing red at the time of the photo shoot but I had a different vision. I wanted a more harmonious and painterly look. It would allow her face and the waves of her hair to be the star. Of course I have more work to do but I’m not embarrassed to show at this stage. I have another painting of her as well and I love the style of painting of her face in that one but I have not been able to work out the background. If I do, Ill show you next week. If I don’t, Ill remind myself to figure out the background before I begin. I have one, of course but it just doesn’t work and I saw that all the while. I do enjoy these colors. New for me.

Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for looking. Winifred

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Venice – The Path

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Venice – The Path 11×17 Oil Painting by Winifred

As I perused a friends blog reflecting their recent train tour of Italy – and environs, I saw a photo taken in Venice which stopped me in my tracks. There were many beautiful photos from their trip, but if you recall my paintings from my Venice photos, they all featured umbrellas, rain and the night. I immediately selected her daylight photo to paint. I thought it would be interesting to see if I would approach this painting differently. I enjoyed creating the color variation and texture on the walls, though there was texture on my canvas as well. I added plants and simplified many other aspects of her photo. Painting is about eliminating the non essential.

Recently, Venice presented some very exciting news to the world. During the past several years a $7 billion engineering project was developed to save Venice.

It’s fascinating. (The development and engineering of this system was created by a woman – just so you know.) If interested in learning about the project – view this short YouTube video in the link below and perhaps a few more.There is real hope for Venice.There’s just no other place like it in the world. I believe the system first launched a couple years ago. Saving Venice

I actually painted a portrait last week and though “correct” I found it completely boring and hence wouldn’t post it. Have a great weekend. Hope you have some flowers and veggies growing. I have plants, of course, but the primary food I grow is strawberries in containers. This year, I had to divide them and gave tons of plants to friends. YUM! Thank you for viewing my blog. Winifred

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