Indian Trunk - Furniture as Art

Indian Trunk
30 x 18
Acrylic on Wood
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Usable art or functional art, whatever you want to call the trunks, they are a pleasure to paint and one more has just been delivered to a client, how I hated to give it up.

I've been asked for more details on how the trunks are painted, my procedure, below, is similar to that of my commissioned illustrations for books, magazines, wine bottle labels, or any other product requiring this kind of art. A piece of wall art done in this style would be done in a similar manner.

Thumbnail Sketches

1. Depending on the subject matter I do lots of research online and in books to understand my subject matter. In this case the topic was India, my creative designer and art collector friend was particularly interested in the embroidery of the Indian women and the animals of India. After researching I have a pretty good feel for my topic and I draw pages and pages of little thumbnail sketches, somewhat to scale. They are called thumbnail sketches because they are tiny. I make colour notes etc.


Sketch-Tiger-Front Panel

2. I refine the sketches which at this stage are about 1/4 of the actual size but to scale, and email them to the client to review.


Colour Sketches-Photoshop-Trunk Top and Side

3. Once we are all satisfied with the design I open the sketches in Photoshop where I add colour, it's a bit rough but it allows me to make changes easier than if I were doing a coloured sketch in crayon, water colour or qouache. I can try different colours to be certain that what I'm planning will really work. This colour sketch of the elephant shows it when it is only partly done. When using so many colours and patterns I need to find ways to keep it all pulled together and not looking like a cacophony of unrelated colour. I solve this problem by repeating colours and patterns. After the client approves the colour sketches I transfer my sketch on to the trunk which comes to me already built and primed. The wood is somewhat rough and rustic and while it's a bit hard to paint on it lends a nice texture.


Transferring the Sketch

4. I use a projector to enlarge my coloured sketch on to the trunk. This is a huge time saver. I do my oil painting very differently, the drawing is done right on the canvas with oil paint and no preliminary sketches, no projector. When it comes to still life much of the creative work is done when I set up the fruits, flowers or objects. Compositional issues, colour and lighting are planned during the set up and I am free to paint what I see, for the most part. Creating the stylized designs and patterns that I do for illustration and the painted furniture requires a different way of working and planning since it all comes from my imagination.


Block in Colour

5. Notice my cat who immediately claimed my chair as soon as I got up to take a photo. Oh, the attitude! After the drawing is transferred I start blocking in the background and basic colours. Once all the basic colours are blocked in ( no shadows or details yet, just flat areas of colour) I start to layer on colour on colour to lend richness and variety. For example. I painted the tiger a flat orange, then added yellow in key areas. Once the animals were painted I started on the background pattern. This took some trial and error as the colour I was using was transparent and took a steady hand to go over the lines time and time again to make a line opaque enough to show up against the background. I experimented with lighter, darker brighter etc. till the background pattern showed up well but did not compete with the animals. Most colours need 2 coats others 3.


Glazing

6. Finally it's time for the glazing which pulls it all together. I use brown for my shadows not because shadows are brown but because using the same colour shadows for all of the different coloured elements helps to unify them. In addition it tones down any harshness, softens, warms all the colours, and adds depth, richness and texture.

7. Once the glaze has cured for a day or two I put on a clear water based isolation coat which is a barrier between the varnish and the paint. After 2 days of curing I can give it a coat or two of synthetic resin based varnish. The varnish serves 2 purposes, enriches the colour and protects the paint surface. If this varnish becomes very dirty from smoke, grease or pollutants it can be removed while the isolation coat protects the paint.

8. Deliver!

Spring & Pussywillows - Oil Painting

Jade Spring
8 x 10
Oil on Canvas
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While winter is having a hard time letting go the tulips and poppies have pushed up their heads and the pussy willows have been out for some time now. The sun is getting stronger and I can practically hear the snow melting. I'm inspired to paint spring. The pussy willows in Jade Spring were picked along the roadside just a short walk from home.

Cats, Grapes & Gourds - Oil Paintings

His Royal Nibs
9 x 12
Oil on Canvas
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The cold days are getting fewer and my senses thrill at the very thought of warm days ahead. I can just imagine myself soaking up the spring sun like a cat. Cats; all sleek beauty and nonchalant elegance combined with kittenish goofiness, oozing attitude and personality galore. His Royal Nibs has it all.


Purple Translucence
8 x 10
Oil on Canvas
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Purple Translucence - all about the semi-transparent aspects of grapes and the effects of light. Available at the Johnson Gallery at 7711-85 St. 780-465-6171 http://www.johnsongallery.ca.


Light Play
9 x 12
Oil on Canvas

My painting Light Play was chosen in 2006 to be part of the juried travelling exhibition 'The New Reality: The Frontier of Realism in the 21st Century'. The exhibition featuring the work of 56 artists from countries all over the globe will be touring America from spring of 2008 to December 2010. For touring schedule go to http://www.smithkramer.com/exhibitions.php?currentSchedule=92

Subject Matter in Art

What makes an artist choose a subject and paint it in a particular way? Artists all have their own reasons for how they compose or make subject matter choices in a painting. Sometimes we work on a theme for a while, sometimes we paint what simply catches our eye and other times there are more complex ideas at work.


Gathered Up
5 x 7
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Gathered Up was a simple reaction to the fresh loveliness of these tiny little crab apples that grow next door to my Mother's house. They were arranged simply as they might have been when they fell from the tree.


Reflections on Black and Yellow
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There were more complex ideas behind Reflections on Black and Yellow which is about contrasts of all kinds. The gleaming reflections in the smooth, shiny black cup contrasting with the broken up reflections in the lumpy surface of the dazzling yellow lemon, all on a neutral background. Contrast in all ways, light/dark, bright/dull, colour/neutrals, and shiny/textural.

Painted Furniture

Toscana Cucina
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My last project of the year was this trunk which was commissioned by my creative friends from Lime Design who have come up with many interesting themes for me to paint for them. You might remember the Medieval Armoire or the Twitter Trunk from the April and November postings. The goal was a trunk that would remind them of their visit to Italy. How perfect that I had just been there earlier this year and was full of ideas and good remembrances of the colours, flavours and scenes of Tuscany. Out of our remembrances came Toscana Cucina.

This project was just completed after many, many hours of researching traditional Italian decoration, reading recipes, multiple sketches and finally painting. The following pictures show the trunk in it's various stages from sketches to block in, and final.








May the new year be full of happiness, blessings and prosperity.

Tagged and I'm It

It seems we art bloggers are having an on-line game of tag in which we share 5 little known tidbits of information about ourselves and then tag 5 other artists. A fun way to learn about one another. Chris Stott who paints fabulously elegant still lifes tagged me.

5 little known things, some of which are probably better off not revealed but better to scare you than bore you.

1. 6 years ago I was illustrating in acrylics and I needed a little change in medium just to rev my illustration up a little- so I took an oil painting class. It was love at first brushstroke and it completely changed my life. Now I do both illustration and oil painting and will likely go crazy.

2. When I was a kid I read in the bath tub till I was shrivelly and my Dad would make me get out so the rest of the family could use the bathroom. I still read in the tub for hours but now no one can make me get out. I do other things in the tub like draw, plan schedules etc. It's a relaxing way to work. A cat falling into the tub, however, is not a relaxing event at all.

3. When I was a teenager I read the book 'The Good Earth' by Pearl S. Buck and have read it once a year ever since. It never gets boring.

4. I received a teddy-chicken (that's right - chicken) for my first Easter when I was a baby and I still have him, although he lives a much quieter life in a trunk now. His name was Cheppie which is apparently derived from my mangled attempts to say chickie. Although I used to play with dolls, I now find them kind of creepy but ancient teddy-chickens are perfectly acceptable.

5. I love peanut butter and dill pickle sandwiches. Try one sometime, you'll thank me.

In spite of some of these odd facts I am fairly normal.

I'm tagging
D. Prizzi
Justin Clayton
Jerry Lebo
John Beder
Ronell at My French Kitchen

Empty Easel Reviews Still Life - Tipsy

The online art community is really something. Everything about art is shared there, no holding back. Artists can read how other artists make their art, how they make a business of it both online and through traditional means, and what inspires them. Artists not only share information but showcase the works of other artists. One such website is Empty Easelwhere I recently had a wonderful review of my art. Stop by Dan's very informative website and read the review.

Three of the paintings Dan reviewed were Tipsy, Imposter and Not Made For Walking from the September post. It's always such a pleasure when another artist 'gets' your work. Tipsy and a few other paintings are currently at Trudy Labell Fine Art in Naples, Fl and will be showing in their February Contemporary Realism show. Imposter is will be on it's way to the Federation Gallery in Vancouver, BC for their Red and Gold show this spring. Not Made For Walking sold in Oct.

New Oil Painting - Hazelnut Leaves With Beanpot

Hazelnut Leaves With Beanpot
10 x 10
Oil/Canvas
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After painting the darkly dramatic Royal Turban and the colourful and more airy Autumn Tang I felt like painting something more neutral and contemplative. The darker leaves and pot against the neutral background and the spare composition seems to give Hazelnut Leaves With Beanpot a rather zen look.

Hazelnuts grow everywhere on our small piece of land. Later on in the summer they grow little nuts that the squirrels clean up by late fall. Those busy little chirpers will not leave one single hazelnut on the trees.

I found this beanpot in a Chinese grocer one day, it was filled with a tasty and rich bean paste that is used in Chinese dishes. I bought it both for the contents as well as the stout, little brown pot that I knew would find it's way into a still life one day.

Autumn Tang

Autumn Tang
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Such lovely little apples but so incredibly tart to bite into. The birds love crabapples when they've clung to the tree all winter and had time to ferment, and I love them because they are beautiful in all seasons and for the most lovely apple butter they make.

Still Life To The Death

Royal Turban
18 x 24
Oil/Canvas

It always amazes me that no matter how much we artists paint we never seem to run out of ideas or be inspired afresh by the things we see or experience. I'm always struck by the fragrant and juicy beauties piled high in supermarket produce sections, while browsing a Chinese grocer or gift shop, or working in my own garden. The attached painting Royal Turban is one such inspired painting. It needed no props to glorify it's incredible shape and colour, only a soft, natural, north light to show it to it's best advantage. It was a real challenge though, normally I paint from 5 x 7 up to 16 x 20 so this big 18 x 24 presented some interesting challenges.

Lighting was a bit of an issue as I'd set up my lights and was quite pleased with the dramatic look, however when I left the studio and turned out the lights I happened to glance back and the north light shining on the turban squash was quite stunning, turning the highlights to pinks and subtle lavenders. How could I not paint that? The problem with painting from life here in Canada is that the days are very short in the winter time. The days are endlessly long in our wonderful summers but so very short come winter. The brightest light came in from 12:00-2:30 which became my time to paint this incredible king of squashes, but it wasn't quite enough to light my palette adequately so that became somewhat of a struggle. At this size I knew this was going to take a while.

The next issue was the fact that the squash had already been hanging around the studio for some time as I completed illustration assignments and other paintings. When I was finally able to get to the squash it was showing signs of aging and by the time I was nearing the end of the painting it was starting to get leaky and mouldy. Each day before painting I had to wipe off the haze of mould that had grown overnight but managed to finish it before it collapsed.

When you are painting one solitary item at this size every single stroke counts. Any stroke placed badly will be distracting and bothersome. Brushstrokes in a simple background placed at the wrong angle will catch the light and stand out like a pink ruffle on a wrestler, all the more noticeable when you are painting larger.

All in all it was a great and wonderful challenge, I had my doubts but couldn't bear to give up on that squash.

Normally most of my paintings go out for sale but I don't think I'm ready to give this one up just yet. Maybe later.