Tag Archives: winifred whitfield

Venice in the Rain

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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 Winifred
Two Women Walking in the Rain in Venice – 12×16 Oil Painting on Panel by Winifred Whitfield
Lady with Umbrella and Others 16×20 on Linen Panel by Winifred
Window Shopping at Night in Venice – 16×20 Oil Painting on Panel by Winifred Whitfield
Lady 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.

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Portrait Slight Smile

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Slight Smile – Oil Painting 9×12 Traditional Oil on Panel

Slight Smile – Oil Painting Portrait by Winifred

Did I ever tell you how difficult it is to paint portraits with accuracy of image likeness. Well, it really is difficult. There are so many nuances of tonal values, of color, techniques designed to tell you what moves forward and what’s in back and how the planes of the face turn. Spending 40 to 50 hours on a portrait is the usual.  It is intricate and the detail can be tedious – if the portrait is in anyway realistic.  At the same time I marvel when one is complete and I know I have done my very best.  With each painting there is something I learn and can take into the next painting.  No matter how difficult, I always look forward to the next.

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Portrait Highlights Patterns

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Portrait Highlights Patterns – 9×12 Oil Painting on Linen Panel

Portrait Oil Painting by Winifred

When I noticed the patterns of highlights on her face, I was inspired to paint this face.  I hesitated for a moment wondering if I could capture such an intricate design – but that’s why tiny brushes are made! It was  quite unusual for me to set up lighting in my studio this way but I’m so glad I did.

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Colorful Bouquet

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Colorful Bouquet Still Life Oil Painting by Winifred

Colorful Bouquet Still Life 11×12 x in Gessoed Panel

I painted this bouquet a few months ago but have never posted it anywhere.  Do you think there is such a thing as too much color!  I did and planed never to share it. Combining both the color and the paint texture, this painting has the appearance of candy. It is super saturated and shiny. It’s a lot to take in.  It would have been perfect to have posted it on Valentine’s Day. But we’re not too far off and we are upon yet another holiday to celebrate. So, whether I love it or not – here it is. Hope you’ve enjoyed both holidays this week – and also this very colorful painting.

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Pears on Ornate Green Marble Table

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 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

 

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Man with Dread Locks

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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.

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Going Forward

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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!

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Bowl Twig Pecans

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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

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VanGogh Inspired Sunflowers

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 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.

 

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