Tag Archives: winifred whitfield

Blue Hydrangeas Progression

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Blue Hydrangea – 8×10 Oil on Canvas –  Preliminary Oil Painting Sketches

Hydrangeas – Preliminary – Progression

This is my first effort to develop a hydrangea painting. I explored a progression of considerations.  I could have painted clusters of perfect little petal flowers and a lovely blended background, or there are many other pretty styles. I know how to do that, but I would not find it interesting. In fact, I created many versions of this painting – more than you see here. They became less and less spontaneous. All paintings are not going to work, but if I am not pushing the creative envelop, experimenting with color and texture, detail or lack there of, I’m not moving forward. There are aspects of each image I like or don’t like.  I will leave it up to you to wonder through the images.  I will create a final painting  in the future starting with a blank canvas.  At that time, because of this efforts, I will better know how I want to develop it. Thank you and Bye for now. Winifred

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Diametrically Opposed

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Oil Painting On Canvas 8×8

I set up these still lifes in my studio. Could any bouquets of flowers be  more different in painting style? I love loose painter strokes, but I also found it interesting to try my hand at some basic “one stroke” brush techniques in the image below.  Both were certainly very interesting to paint.

 

I found myself buried in details the painting below, but the results on this black canvas were vibrant and enjoyable to create.

  


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Painting Sunflowers

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Sunflowers in Blue Room – 9×12 Oil Painting on Gessoed Board

 

I was in the mood to paint sunflowers this week. I do love them. I had something in mind and made a sketch on my board. Then I thought – now what. What colors will I use? It would be easier to figure this out digitally than in oil – then I would paint it.  I photographed my sketch with my phone and brought the sketch into painter to do a rough paint sketch. Below is the result. I like both of my drafts -great light!

Color Draft #1

I then printed it on a high gloss paper which gave me vibrant color contrast and detail. It would be my visual reference image for my painting – at least loosely so.

It was then late and I sat down to watch “So you think you can Dance”. One dancer wore coral red paints, a teal blue shirt and a blue violet hat. WOW! The colors popped and it was not a color combination I had been conscious of before. I spent some time thinking about the colors and what gave them the ability to compliment and harmonize. I thought – I can still do that. I finished watching the amazing dancers and went back to my computer.

Painter draft sketch 2 – “dancer” color added.

Above, I created a colorize layer and painted in my “dancer colors. It was an improvement – certainly for the subject matter and style in which I would paint. One just never knows where the next inspiration will be found. I didn’t really mean to go to the tip top if the board on my final oil painting at the top of the page. It didn’t start out that way. I still like it. After all, magazines cut of the top of all the models heads these days. It’s a thing! I did get every petal in the frame however!!

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Sunflowers on Black Canvas – 6×8 Oil Painting

Prompted by a video, my first sunflowers were painted on black canvas. I’ve never done this before. It’s almost easier in a way,  because the darkest values are in place.

I like the painting and the idea. I will certainly do more paintings that way. Interesting I had already purchased Black Gesso and had covered several boards knowing this was something I wanted to do. So, I was ready.

 

 

 

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Classic Portrait Oil Painting

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12×16 Oil Painting on Gessoed Board

Above – Final Painting

This is my largest painting to date. Sometimes I play. Playing has value. Sometimes I am very serious and want to get it right. What is right?  I wanted  to create a classic painting, with accurate skin tones for this person – I wanted to reflect accurate hues, tones and chroma appropriately sculpting the form of her face – within the lighting in which she was photographed.  “Accurate” is a tall order here – starting with the fact she was photographed in weird light, the photo was printed – meaning a different shift in colorspace. So many things,  have interfered with accurate. That being said, I was deliberate and wanted to do my best.

I took the reference photo while in New York at a gallery opening a few years ago. She was very willing to pose, as I find is usually the case in New York City.   Her dress was black dripping with multiple chains. She had one bare shoulder.  The bare shoulder was covered with huge tattoos likewise all down her arm. She had a long ponytail. Her eyes were rimmed in bright red make up.  I think she might have been disappointed had I not ask to photograph her.  I thought she might be enjoyable to paint.

 Initially, I spent an hour mixing paint. Based on colors and values in the photo, I created a  large variety of subtle shades and hues for her face. That become an enjoyable part of painting – believe it or not – it’s own meditation.

Below is mid stage of the painting. It was a modern, rather vixen look  – but that’s not what I had in mind.

Above – Portrait Stage One

I wanted a more classic look.  I thought a vintage hairdo might be interesting and added a bun to the back side of her head and a long curl.

 After looking at the painting for a while – nearly an hour later I decided  to remove the back bun and curl I added – to wipe off the paint from that vintage variation. The  hair paint was still soft/wet.  I then only slightly modified her original “do”, softened and blended  the edges of the hair where it met the face and its exterior edges. In the final image above, I also subdued the red rimmed eyes, subdued the eyelashes, and softened the lip lines. Some of the boldness of the image was lost, but I was after softer and more subdued  look – shocking!! Perhaps, I should have and could have been more careful in painting her neck and upper chest.  I did not do so intentionally – not sure it was the right decision.

Hint:  We all need time away from out art periodically, to bring fresh eyes to our work. There are many ways painters do this.  Viewing your artwork in the mirror can help as well. What I do most often is to photograph my painting with my phone periodically –  a series stages of the painting along with the latest stage.  I can view these images anytime – and I do so frequently. Viewing these images small  on my phone gives me distance and a different way of looking at the painting.  I find this process very helpful and I do this with every painting. It shows me things I might never have seen when looking at the larger painting.

Attire:

I  also wasn’t sure what I would do for attire. I could leave her shoulders bare – or dress her in some way. Again, I photographed the painting with my iPhone and opened it in Painter to explore some alternatives. Thats how I tested a few strokes of “fabric on her shoulder”.  (Bye the way, I also used Painter to test adding the bun which I removed.) I decided that whatever I creates as attire would be loose and easy, hence, I returned to my paints.  In the end, I used the palette knife to create her “stunning” dress top. That was fun!!

Over all I learned a lot in the painting process – always the case.    Once again I learned to try to get color, values, and brushstrokes right the FIRST TIME.  “FIXING”, especially skin, doesn’t usually lead to good results.

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Vessel Loading – Bainbridge Island to Seattle

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I spent the day with a young friend from Seattle on her13th birthday more than a year ago. Now it was time for her to return home.  I took her to the ferry – her mom would meet her on the other side. Amongst others, I took this photo as she prepared to board the Bainbridge Island Ferry.

A few days ago,as I perused my photos searching for any interesting reference photo to paint – I came upon that image and was inspired to paint it. Getting the perspective right was challenging  for sure and the was a dominant consideration for this painting. 

Initial Sketch and Design 

Developing Values and Perspective

Values and perspective  and image content are increasingly developed. 

Below:

I’ve  been reminded of a digital painting I created a few years ago. I was in New York and walked down the stairs into Penn Station. Immediately, I saw this little girl playing the trombone and her brother holding the music.  I love the story and the memory. I added a few dollars to the trombone case.

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Suspending Judgement

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Suspending Judgement –  8×10 Oil on Canvas

We’re so hard on ourselves, always wanting to get it right, the design, the color, the brushstroke, the values. perhaps you’ll wonder if others will like it.  What if we suspend  this brainwork and jump into bonafide play – just throw some paint around. No one else needs to see it. Tell the brain to take a rest – you won’t be listening – and you’re doing it just for your self!!  Digital or traditional painter – it won’t matter. That’s what I did to create this painting.

It was fun. There was no thinking – no right or wrong.  I wanted “to do” and not “to think” about it. Lets face it, some of what’s been learned always shows up a bit anyway. You cannot teach yourself “not to walk”  – you just do it. Your painting should take not more than 5 to ten minutes. Try to paint quickly so you don’t have time to think.

For this painting, I only used the left over, already mixed oils on my palette, limiting my  color choices and I started “plopping” on paint with a palette knife. Who knew where it would go – there was no plan. Remember, NO THINKING – just play! We all need to play. It’s amazing the part of yourself you might discover. I had no idea there would be polkadots all over. Never did I DECIDE, “I will put dots all over”. I put a few on the upper part of the painting with the end of a brush, then a few more and a few more. I did think it was pretty cute however.

Funny, I usually do my wildest painting  experiments using a pear as subject.  I don’t have to think about creating a pear shape.  You might want to create something different.  I had a student say she didn’t want to paint a pear but she would paint and apple. Okay, apples are cool and anything else!!

Since you’re here and we’re looking at pears. I’m going to show you another painting. Below is the second oil painting I ever did.  I thought it was ok – for learning to use oils. 

Now, 6 weeks later, I decided to paint from the  same reference photo again – it’s simple, fast and just practice. This time I did a value sketch – I don’t think I did that for the first painting and it’s vitally important. Then, I added paint to it. There’s a big change from my initial painting.  I thought you would enjoy seeing the change.

Orange and Pear Simple Still Life

I’m sure I will paint the reference photo again in a few weeks ti see if I can’t take it in yet another direction. Thank you for taking a look. Winifred

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m painting far more than I anticipated and hence posting more blogs. If there are too many – do let me know.  You  can also unsubscribe but I would hate to loose you. Winifred

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Canal through Murano Italy

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“Canal in Murano” (9 x12 inch oil painting on gesso board)

Murano Italy is home of some of the most amazing glass factories in the WORLD!!! It is where Venetian glass was created. In this painting, I’ve attempted to capture a canal running through Murano. However, I find that I’ve buried myself in details. Particularly – so many pilings!! I deliberated but thought I had to add them.

I was afraid that if I didn’t do so, the boats would drift aimlessly into the canal, bumping into each other and float away – what a mess that would be.  

Before Pilings

I’m discovering I like bold blocks of color without lots of fuss.

Starting to add boats

  As you can tell, the above painting phase is not developed, as it could have been, but you can see that it reflects a different possibility from the finished painting which is filled with boats and pilings.

Below, a quick value sketch. Notice, no value for boats!! I love this kind of loose abstraction.

Value Sketch

Below – Adding Initial Color (I love this kind of looseness).

adding initial color

I hope you enjoy seeing how my paintings evolve.  Notice, I didn’t show you the reference photo. I did this on purpose. It is to prevent you from looking back and forth comparing my painting to the photo. However, it is not intended to be compared. This is simply my interpretation – though for sure the photo contained lots of boats and pilings! 

You may think my images are out of order but that the way I chose to present them – it’s the way my mind works. Thank you for visiting my blog and please subscribe if you have not.  Thanks, Winifred

Before Pilings

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Three Friends Walking – Traditional Oil Painting

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This has been a fun and challenging week of Painting.  I have painted so much that I’ve gone through a couple tubes of oil paint at this point – but that’s what it will take. 

I took photos prolifically, while in Italy.  I thought it adorable when I saw these three ladies walking. Actually, there was a fourth, as you can see in the reference photo, but I found her distracting. I also found the wall/garage door, in front of them distracting also.  I knew I would have to to develop a more interesting and creative environment.  In my first attempt to do this, as you can see in the tonal sketch at the bottom, I painted a wall of square columns – somewhat replicating the right side of the photo.  That didn’t work. Ideally, the design of the painting would be determined in the initial sketch phase – certainly by the time the tonal sketch is done – but sometimes, I just haven’t figured it out – and keep going. This is not the best approach.

“Three Friends Walking”

Ultimately I decided on a textured side of a building and a curved doorway.  I went with that idea. Still, what to put in front of them.  I didn’t know for the longest.  I rather enjoyed the ethereal look of “space”.  Finally, I envisioned it as an open landscape – leaving it largely to your imagination.  I could play with interesting color for a sky and create just a hint of a horizon line.  I would allow the painting  to maintain these few and simple elements – resting on Interesting light, shadow and color. I’m making baby steps with my oil painting and so long as I do, I hope to progress.

Reference Photo ( hemmed in by their environment)

Tonal Value Sketch –  a great way to see what doesn’t work!

Thank you for visiting my Blog!  Another post will be coming  quickly – colorful buildings, boats and a canal in Murano, Italy – many many boats!!  I never painted so many boats before!  Winifred

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Italian Laundry Painting

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Oil Painting – Laundry in Italy

Im not sure why we’re so fascinated with the many long cords laundry pinned to them we see in Italy. I love this visual also.  In fact, on any given street, if I saw hanging laundry, I photographed it.  It’s kind of like joyful colorful flags waving in the wind.  This is my first attempt to paint from such a photo.  The process was interesting.  

Laundry in Italy

Below you see the photo which inspired the painting.

The image below is in image of an earlier stage of the painting.  I like it quite a lot – perhaps even better than the finished painting with the laundry. I enjoy the strong shapes and  simple blocks of color. No Fuss. In the future, I just might create this as the painting.  At this point, I’m happy to have it as a digital file.

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