Another painting of paintings

The Art Student

15" X 29.5"

Original Oil

One of the things about deadlines is that sometimes you forget the little things  - like taking photos of the painting in progress. Sorry about that.

The first thing I painted since the last post were the gold frames. They aren't as easy as they look. Each one has different characteristics and since these are famous paintings, the frame that is on it needs to be painted. I can't substitue any old gold frame. Yellow ochre and Naples Yellow were my main colors but I also used some Cadmium Yellow Deep, Lemon Yellow, Titanium white (used for mixing the highlights), and Burnt Sienna + Raw Umber (for the shadows).

Once the frames were completed, I began with the left most painting and worked my way right. It is a little daunting painting landscapes from the 1800's ....and in perspective.

Lastly, I worked on the girl. Here, I felt like a director. What posture would convey the emotion I wanted to capture? How could I convey her thoughts to the viewer? I used the slung-over bags to give a "student" feel and hopefully a casualness. I'd like to think she was just walking along in the art museum and had to stop to look at this painting. 

Now, some info for you on the paintings. If you haven't guessed yet, these paintings are considered from the Hudson River School. Using a pastoral approach to a landscape filled with light, this second generation of Hudson River school painters completed some of the finest examples of the genre between 1855 and 1875. Starting from left to right, below are details of the four paintings.

1) Siout, Egypt ( 1874) by Sanford Robinson Gifford, 1823-1880

2) Second Beach, Newport (1878-1880) by Thomas Worthington Whittredge, 1820-1910

3) The Last Valley - Paradise Rocks (1867-1868) by John LaFarge, 1835-1910 (note: LaFarge is sometimes considered an American Tonalist rather than from the Hudson River School but his early work puts him in step with other Hudson River School painters according to some authorities)

4) A Quiet Day near Manchester (1873) by Alfred Thompson Bricher, 1837-1908