Sunday, April 20, 2008

Another New painting

Britt-arnhild gave me permission to use a photo she took and posted on her blog as the basis of a painting. I loved the image of the houses all in a row. How did I get that luscious green? I have no idea. I paint randomly and at whim and rarely can dulplicate a color.

First I sketched in my sketchbook. Then on the canvas with charcoal. Then I did a thin oil paint wash to lay out tentative shapes. I love this thin oil paint. I read somewhere recently that one shouldn't make the oil paint too thin. This isn't watercolors, after all, this website said. Pshaw.
Here is the original photo of the village of Roros in Norway. Of course, I could not really duplicate the positions of the houses. In fact drawing this scene was very difficult for me. Still, something draws me to these houses set so close to the road and tucked into the snow. Thanks Britt-arnhild.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Suki - the houses look great. Kind of naivistic in a way I like very much.

Thanks for linking to my page. I am glad the photo send inspiration your way :-)

human being said...

oh how I love this painting... looking forward to seeing more of it...
there is something new in this painting... lemme see... aha... the houses are much closer... yes ... in your other works they were farther... can I interpret it as far-fetched? maybe I'm just overreading...
anyway, this closeness warms my heart... the way when you come closer to home after a long day of work...
lovely, Suki... so lovely...

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

Love the new work. I too like the photo with the houses close. Almost English like. Row houses?
You have your own unique way of painting that says, Suki. That is good. You bring your own interpretation to it. It is going to be a wonderful painting I can tell already.

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

I agree with you on the thin wash in oils. I do that all the time. I use oil mixed with turpintine and make a wash of all colors first before going with oip paint and liquin. Sometimes I build up thicker paint and sometimes I dont. In Art I think rules are to be broken.

Katiejane said...

I like your houses. I like the original photo and I can see why you would be drawn to it. Take a peek at the header on this blog: posy.typepad.com As you will see, she lives in Devon, England and recently changed her header to this photo. So romantic looking
Good start on your painting, though. I'm eager to see the finished product.

soulbrush said...

i have a painting done by an african of the townships, looks a lot like this picture, i look forward to seeing the results of your efforts

marianne said...

This could be Sweden to me..............
Love the picture and the painting you are doing!

sukipoet said...

opps. I should have said, the picture was taken in Norway. Thanks for the encouragement.

Thanks again Britt-arnhild for your wonderful blog and pictures.

human being, interesting what you say about the houses. I just pick what appeals to me and do it, and it's up to someone else to interpret. Maybe it does signify something though. thanks. I always love to hear people's reflections and interpretations.

Cris thanks for elaborating on your painting method. I find it so intersting and informative. thanks for your confidence in me that I will be able to carry off this, somewhat complex, picture. huzzah.

Thanks Katie Jane. I'll check out that site in a minute. I hope I DO finish this one so you can see it completed. !!!

Interesting that the picture/photo makes folks think of Africa and or England. To me it is pretty Scandinavian although the logs and the roof with grass on them also remind me of some old Russian photos I've seen.

Be well all, Namaste, Suki

Roxanne said...

ohhh... I do like the green that evolved in your painting ... AND the green that shows up in the grass of the background of your first photo ... thanks for sharing, Suki. Oh yes - and thanks for posting a link to my site! I never considered myself a poet, but if you call me one, I can be one :) my warmest wishes to you ....

San said...

The colors beguile with their loveliness. I understand the intuitive approach to painting. It's of-the-moment and hard to duplicate.

sukipoet said...

Oh Honor, I thought of you as a poet because you write poems and post them. I am sure you are many other things to, so I didnt mean to "label"
you. I love greens too.

San thanks for stopping by and for your comment. I was a writer for many years and did not write from intuition except in the first few drafts. So I hope to maintain my intuitive sense in the visual attempts I make.