Building Shelves

 

Continuing with my plan to work on the structural elements first, I am building shelves.

 

 For the back of the store, I added horizontal spice racks to aid in the illusion of a specific depth to the store.

 

 The top of the wall at the back of the store was not reading well. I've changed it to a sage green which appears to be working.

And finally, time for some fruit and vegetables. Lots more produce on the way!

Moving inside the shop

 I'm going with the flow of the painting in deciding what sections to work on next. It seemed establishing the lower bench was logical. 

With the lower bench mostly completed, now I am playing with the back wall and the shadow from the bottles.

As I "move in" to the back of the shop, I am keeping my edges softer and the items less defined.

The Shop

 

 

The full text of the blue banner above this shop in Genoa is Bio - Soziglia. 

When I sealed my drawing with a turpentine wash, most of the wash was with raw sienna. For the inside of the shop, I used radiant yellow for the upper part of the wash and moved to a cadmium orange in the lower section. I am using the intensity of the wash to create a warm hot spot in the painting.

 

The walls under the banner were too light did not have the warmth I wanted so I have darkened them.

This painting will take a while with all the details. The different textures are intriguing to paint. Sometimes it is difficult to know where to start on a piece like this. I opted to work on the structural elements and supports before painting the contents of the boxes.

How big?

 

I hope 2021 greatly exceeds your expectations!

How big do I make this painting?

This is a question I often struggle with as I work on ideas for compositions. Some of the questions I ask are:

1.) At what size would this subject look best?

2.) Do I need a small, medium, or large painting to fill a gap in my available paintings?

3.) Have I done a number of small pieces and it is time for a larger one or visa versa?

4.) Where will the painting be going? Someone's home? Gallery? Show? and what size preferences or restrictions are in effect?

5.) If I don't have a set destination for the piece,  then what size do I feel like?

This next painting idea has been rolling around in my head since 2013. It is inspired by a visit to Genoa, Italy and a walk I took along narrow back streets populated with small merchant shops. There will be no animals in the piece and I have several new techniques I am eager to try.

Why paint it now? It is a new year and I'd like to start with something quite different. My three shows in the first quarter have been postponed so I have one painting slot of time available in which to experiment and "stretch my brushes."

What size did I decide upon? 24" X 21".  This is larger than I would normally use for a "try something different and complicated and use new techniques" painting. But, I have been nursing the idea for over 7 years. Time to be bold and usher in 2021 with gusto .... and a glass of wine!

Stay tuned.

Finished Jaguar painting

Jag   original oil    8.25" X 11"

Almost Done

 While I don't paint every hair, I do keep in mind the direction of the fur. Much of the larger fur sections are painted with a small flat angle brush.

More Color

 The next step is more color, lots more color!

At this stage my palette has a number of yellow, orange, and burnt sienna mixtures. Other than the ears, I haven't painted the lightest "whites" of the cat.