Monday, February 18, 2008

Venturing into oil

Two old brushes. One of them is from my San Francisco days (1967) but forget which one. The top brush is unusable but I save it still.

Painted an undercoating a few days ago. I think it is called imprimatura. You do that so you are not painting against white. You can use any color you like for the undercoating.
As all my photos are in the computer, I made a sketch from one photo and took that into the studio as a reference. As you can see I splattered oil paint on it.


Then I just began laying in the colors. Maybe they are so faint as they are mixed with white? This looks only partly like the real scene. In reality there are lots of trees around the house and in the background. I like the texture of oil paint very much. I used Turpenoid which I thought had no smell but it does. Still, better than turpentine I guess.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

I just love the painting, with lots of coloured surfaces, just the essential with your very personal and beautiful Suki-colour touch!
Andrea

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

Suki this is going to be beautiful.
I have always done an undercoating too but the painting I am working on I didnt do it and have been paying for it since. Thanks for reminding me. How fun to have the old brushes. They are mood props, to get you in the mood of painting. :)

Annie said...

A little tutorial for me, Sukipoet, showing the way. I think someday I will try my hand at painting.

Lynn Cohen said...

I too enjoy the lessons. Information for maybe one day.
I like the muted colors. Will you add the trees later?
It's come alive, coming more alive...with every stroke.
And 1967...I was just one year back from Israel...young mother...starting my own nursery school in my home, craft time for kids...let the artist in me begin!
;-)

sukipoet said...

Well I am not really much of a tutor as I know nothing. But thanks. I am afraid to paint in the trees as trees are very hard and I am sure to ruin the painting. But right now it looks like a scene from Illinois or something rather than tree-filled east coast upcountry, so I'm not sure.

human being said...

How exciting to see the process.
Wish I walked on that path... Very beautiful.
Wait to see more.

soulbrush said...

brave brave brave and looking good.

Unknown said...

Dear Suki, came back to look at the painting and the old brushes, which I love! One of them is from your "San Francisco" time, this sounds so great, as if this brush could tell stories about your life adventures, and all the paintings you painted!
Have a nice day
Andrea

Elizabeth said...

YEAY! You got the oils out just as you said you would. I like the progress so far, and looking forward to seeing more...

PS _ The photo on your new banner is TOTALLY WOW!!! I LOVE it!

sukipoet said...

thanks re: getting out the oils and being brave. and the resonance of the old brush.

The oils are being hard for me, perhaps because the turp seems to have thickened and also I dont' have the damar varnish for the medium and am just using turp and linseed oil. The paint seems to take forever to dry too to do the next layer. But it is interesting at least. different.

sukipoet said...

Re having the brush from San Franciso. When I lived there I took no photos. The brush is the ONLY things I still have from that time except for the memories of course. a time of great freedom for me, youthful exploring of the facets of self and the world (having grown up in a world that I considered like a convent. even college seemed like being in a convent).