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| Canyonland Raven KS-2017 |
This blog entry tracks the life of a painting I started on in October 2017, and will finish in May 2018. While in Canyonland UT I met this Bird. (read more about that
here ) I saw the most amazing landscapes, shapes, colors, layers... impressive! This is where this bird lives:
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| Canyonland View KS-2017 |
I quickly (November 2017) went on another adventure, to Costa Rica, where I saw some of the work of Rolando Fava, who along with other styles is a master finger painter. (See more about that
here) I also saw the most rich diversity of wildlife and Caribbean Lowland Rain Forest. When I got back from that trip, it took me a while to really start acting on it. I was stunned with wonder. I still am months later. In February 2018 I started practicing my finger painting skills, to try and capture Costa Rican Forests and the South West US with this long unused (by me) technique. Like this. And this and this. Understand this is not literal, it is from those feelings... with hints of the geology.... the palaces of Nature Gods as seen by me.
This background was painted in March 2 018- it sat on the shelf waiting
for me to find a way to use it properly. I liked it go much, I was
loath to cover any of it up. It took some nerve, but when I pictured
this pair of compatriots, I started in. May 25 2018.
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| Background 1 KS-2018 | |
The rough sketch came first,
then I painted the Raven from the photograph, balancing what the photograph captured with a painterly hand. The realism of the overpainting can be startling over the lush, abstract waves of these backgrounds, so I take it slow and work to make the two worlds come together, as if naturally occurring.
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| Painting Raven 2 KS-2018 |
Then I set the skull under the bird, making sure the feet look like they are solidly touching the Skull.
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| Painting Skull 3 KS-2018 |
I sit back at the end of May 25th, to look at the work so far. I have started painting the Iris of the eyes as Jewels... but the paint needs to set up a bit to go any further.
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| Painting Skull-jewel eyes+ studio 4 KS-2018 |
The Next day I check and find the paint firmed up enough to allow me to put on more paint in the details, yet still blend where needed. I over paint the jewels, add the cracks and start adding in more shadow.
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| Skull Details-skull joints 5 KS-2018 |
At the end of the 26th I have added the septum Ring, sharpened up the cracks, added my signature golden orange halation , and cut in from the outside edge to clean things up a bit. I will work on this piece more, after it thoroughly dries, I will glaze it, perhaps adding some color enhancement in the figures, but perhaps not... I like it the way it is color wise. Glazing adds shine and brings out the depth of field, but is harder to photograph then a matte surface. If I get a good picture, and it looks significantly different than this one, I will add it to this post. I only have two working names at this time, will think about this more while it drys and I look at it more. "Soft Landing" or "Cold Morning" come to mind now, but that could change. I am planning another adventure soon... and think it will yield more Nature God results! I'll show and tell later about that field trip! Cheers, K
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| Skull and Raven Details, outline, septum ring- 6 KS-2018 |
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