Evolution of a Painting

Welcome to my Spanish painting studio! I appreciate the visit. Here's what's been going on.

The still life in the slide show far below was inspired by Hari Tipping. She told me when she sees my still lifes, they seem to be landscapes of my interior states. Her comment inspired first a block print with, literally, a landscape inside a women who can open like a cabinet.

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A woman with cabinet doors which open, revealing a magical-realism interior.

Later, I began this still life with a petite self portrait placed in the peaceful interior with favorite objects.  I mentioned its formal aspects in my first blog when I just started it. I love to paint glass for the fluidity and transparency. The horse (by sculptor Elizabeth DeCosimo) represents my affection for those fine creatures. I surrounded the objects with bright pastel color, and with peace and quiet. This still life is a love letter to tranquility.

Below find a time-lapse of the progress. CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO MOVE THROUGH THE SEQUENCE.

Second Day

Everything blocked in, and working on the forms.
 

Third Day

Beginning to develop complexity of texture

Day 5

Trying to pull shape into the bottles, lightening the blue diamonds.

Day Seven

Focused on deepening shadows.
 

Day Nine

Now swinging back to the lights and highlights. I repainted the entire background, and it became too blue.

During many days in the middle of a painting's progress, there are not dramatic changes, just tiny adjustments towards a better harmony.

Day 12

I spent several days seeking the self-portrait.

Experimenting with shades of purple in the larger green bottle. It was good, but too heavy handed.

Day 15

I'm beginning to enjoy the color harmonies in the background.  A blob-like reflection of the horse appears in the large bottle.

Day Twenty

The large bottle is now completely repainted, the self-portrait slightly more nuanced, and the polka dots on top of the table sitting better in their place, spacially-speaking.

Here, for the first time, appears the entire reflection of the galloping horse in the large bottle.

Almost done

I had nearly finished before I noticed I never attended to the blue cloth under the horse.

The finished piece

I'm happy with the color harmonies, but am surprised at the little self-portrait, which is somehow different in the composition that I imagined at the beginning.

Thanks for visiting my studio this week, and I hope you enjoyed the blog. Your feedback is always welcome!  Melissa