041017 S 24x30 Morning Glories, Hollyhocks, and Poppies by the Creek, PART THREE

This is PART THREE of a three part blog about the creations for a recent commission project.  This is the second of two paintings I created for the project.  You can see the design process in the PART ONE blog. You can see the first painting HERE in PART TWO.   

To summarize, Beth and Andy wanted a flower scene with lots of purple:  blue-purples, red-violets, blues.  The water needed to be a darker cobalt blue, not a turquoise or cerulean blue.  They liked certain elements in various paintings that they saw in my studio/gallery during a visit.  So I took notes and then pulled out the paintings and/or printouts of what they liked.  

I started with a sketch that includes writing out what I what where and what colors and flowers I want to emphasize.

Then I sketch out the idea on a prepared panel using a brush dipped in cold pressed linseed oil and magenta mixed with cerulean blue pigment.  

I mix up a dark value using Cadmium Red Medium and Ultramarine Blue and use that on the edges of the creek.  I mix up a dark green for the background trees using Ultra Blue, Cadmium Yellow Light, and a touch of Cad. Red Med. and/or Primary Red-Magenta.  

I use Ultramarine Blue with a touch of Titanium White for the water in the creek. I also add in some dark, rusty ochers in the water where the earth and rocks underneath color the water. I start painting in the morning glories with dark purples mixed from various combinations of Ultra. Blue or Cerulean Blue with Magenta gradually adding lighter values mixed with white. 

The green foliage in the middle ground space is mixed using primarily Cerulean Blue(a warmer blue than Ultramarine) and Cadmium Yellow Light.  More blue is used in the background greens to help the space recede.  Magenta and Cadmium Red are also mixed in sparingly for shadows and dips in the topography.

More dark background foliage in the trees is added.  Leaves are added to the Morning Glories.

The sky, mixed with Cerulean Blue and Titanium White, is popped in the negative space around the trees.

Bright zinnias are added to the background, dancing across the trees.  The zinnias are mixed from various combinations of magenta, cadmium red, yellow, and blue.  Bright poppies from pure Cadmium Red Medium and Light are added to their complementary color, green.  Using complementary colors next to each other cause them to vibrate optically and create visual excitement.

More flowers are added throughout the painting.  A pale violet color is mixed using lots white with purple.  Yellow is used sparingly.  Hollyhocks are painted in.  Goldfish are added to the creek and a waterfall is painted in.  Final details are added to the foreground flowers.  And the final painting(below):

"Morning Glories, Hollyhocks, and Poppies by the Creek", Code #031017 24x30, oil on panel, 24" x 30", c. 2017, by Charlene Marsh. SOLD

And so which painting did Andy and Beth select?  While they loved both paintings, they selected this one, the second one!  I thought they might because it made the purples and blue-purples the stars of the painting more than the first one(which is fabulous in it's own right).
 

You can see the design process in PART ONE and the creation of the first painting in PART TWO.  

Thanks for following along.

Happy Trails!

Cheers,

Charlene

040717 S 24x30 Happy Dancing Flowers, PART TWO

This is PART TWO of a three part blog about the creation of a commissioned oil painting for a couple for their bedroom and shows the creation of the first of two paintings created for them to choose from.  Please visit PART ONE to see the evolution of the foundation of the project and PART THREE to see the second painting created and find out which one Andy and Beth selected. 

Beth and Andy visited the studio/gallery and looked over the paintings I had in stock.  We discussed what they liked and the size of the space.  In particular, Beth loves purple.  Blue-purple is her favorite.  This was a fun challenge to integrate what they liked -- the colors, the waterfall, the flowers -- into a painting to fit their space.

After making some sketches, I started with a drawing on the panel using cold pressed linseed oil and a bit of pigment.

I mix the darkest values using Ultramarine Blue and Cadmium Red Medium.  I put in the dark values wherever I see them on the painting.

For the darker, background trees, I mixed Ultra Blue with a small amount of Cadmium Yellow Light.  I mix up a small batch of color and apply it throughout.  Then i mix up another small batch of color and use that until it is gone.  Some batches I mix in more yellow, some more blue.  Some, I add Cerulean Blue and/or a touch of Titanium White to get a lighter value.

For the brighter greens in the foreground space, I mix up small batches of green the same way but, instead of Ultramarine Blue, use a warmer Cerulean Blue with Cadmium Yellow in varying ratios.  I also would add a touch of Cadmium Red Medium and Primary Red-Magenta to tone it down.

I blocked in the water on the creek using Ultramarine Blue since my clients liked the cobalt color more than a turquoise color.  I also worked in some of the earth tones from the land mixed from predominately Cadmium Red Medium with Ultra Blue and Cadmium Yellow.

Next, I mixed a light blue for the sky using both Ultramarine Blue and Cerulean Blue plus Titanium White and blocked in the sky in the negative space around the trees.  

I then scratched into the surface all over with a rubber tipped implement to create the branches and twigs and sense of movement.

Finally, time to start adding the flowers!  I start with the hollyhocks in the background using various mixes of magenta with a touch of yellow, magenta and white, magenta and ultra blue, magenta and cerulean blue.

More flowers are painted in.  The waterfall in the creek is painted in.  Goldfish are added and then ripples swept over them.  I even go back and add some dark green from the background when I think there may be too many flowers. 

The surface of the painting is alive with the flowers pulsating across the landscape.  Hollyhocks, magic lilies, marigolds, poppies, Queen Anne's Lace are all dancing across the painting.  

The finished painting.  "Happy Dancing Flowers", Code #040717 S 24x30, oil on panel, 24" x 30", c. 2017 by Charlene Marsh.

I ended up painting a second piece to give Beth and Andy a choice.  I also wanted to better integrate what they wanted with the emphasis on purples and violets and blues.  Although I absolutely love the vibrancy and excitement of this painting, I felt like maybe it didn't have enough purple to really meet their expectations.  Also, I just feel better giving clients a choice and then I can add the second piece back into my inventory.  Win win for everyone!  

PART THREE of this blog features the creation of the second painting.  I'll let you know at the end of that blog which painting Andy and Beth selected.  
 
Thanks for following along! 

Happy Trails!

Charlene

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032417 Commission Project, PART ONE

This is PART ONE of a three part blog about a recent commission project.  PART ONE discusses the evolution and inspiration of the project.  PART TWO covers how the first oil painting was created and PART THREE shows the creation of the second painting.  My clients were then shown both paintings and given a choice of their favorite between the two paintings.  I'll let you know which one they selected in PART THREE so stay tuned.

While visiting the studio/gallery, Andy and Beth looked through the paintings I had in my inventory and picked out various ones they liked.  But they needed a specific size for their bedroom and nothing I had on hand fit what they wanted.  I told them I could paint a painting as a commission project and take into consideration and incorporate exactly what they wanted.

"Poppies and Hollyhocks by the Creek", Code #032416 24x36, oil on panel, 24" x 36", c. 2016 by Charlene Marsh 

Beth really loves purples.  All kinds of purple!  Especially blue-purple.  But she also loves red-violets and blues.  She wanted a flower painting with these colors highlighted.  Pinks and magentas were fine, too.

Beth not only loved the flowers in this painting(above) but the waterfall in it so we wanted to incorporate a waterfall in the final painting for their home.

"Zinnias, Marigolds, & Mums by the Goldfish Pool", Code #091116 12x16, plein air oil on panel, 12" x 16", c. 2016 by Charlene Marsh 

She loved the dark water in the goldfish pool(above) as well as the color of the flowers and the habenero hot pepper plant on the right side although purples had to predominate.

"Lilies by the Goldfish Pool with Glass Bird Bath", Code #070214 12x16, plein air oil on panel, 12" x 16", c. 2014 by Charlene Marsh 

Beth liked the very pale yellow flowers in the lower left of the painting (above) as well as a few poppies.

"Morning Glories", Code #081215 12x12, plein air oil on panel, 12" x 12", c. 2015 by Charlene Marsh  SOLD

After they left the studio, I looked through printouts of past, sold paintings and pulled a few other images that I thought met their criteria and would be good inspiration.  The blue and blue-purple morning glories (above) would be perfect for the painting.  
 

"Purple Ironweed", Code #082316 9x12 no2, plein air oil on panel, 12" x 16", c. 2016 by Charlene Marsh  SOLD

All this purple ironweed(above) definitely fit the bill! 

"Magic Lilies and Hollyhocks", Code #112415 12x12, oil on panel, 12" x 12", c. 2015 by Charlene Marsh  SOLD

I love the Magic Lilies and Hollyhocks in this painting(above) especially vibrating against the green foliage.

So I arranged a couple original paintings to the left of my easel and made a bulletin board of six printouts of past paintings to use for inspiration and reference while working on the commission piece.  You can see the set up in my studio in the photo above.  My palette is on the right side with extra palette knives, paint, and paper towels on the left.

So, with a firm foundation of what my clients want and what direction I want to take the painting, I am ready to get started.  

Please visit PART TWO to see how the first painting in this project was created.  PART THREE with the second painting is now up and you can see which painting Andy and Beth selected.

Thanks for following along!

Happy Trails!

Cheers,

Charlene 

111216 S 40x42 Respite in the Forest in Autumn

This painting was commissioned by a couple in Lexington, Kentucky after they saw my work at the Woodlands Art Fair, first in 2015 and again in 2016.

They saw a painting they liked but wanted it to have a finished size of 48" h. x 50" w., including the frame.  I made notes on what they wanted in terms of the design, colors, size, frame, and any other special considerations.  I worked up a quote for the finished painting including the frame and delivery/shipping fees.  Once they approved the project and paid a 50% down payment, I began work on the painting.

So I took the painting they liked and changed the proportions in Adobe Photoshop to fit their requirements and give me a working diagram.  
This is a picture of the painting they liked.  A side by side comparison of the finished painting with the original inspiration is near the end of the blog.  

You can see the original rectangular painting and the square version in this photo with the print outs on my "inspiration board".  My clients also sent me pictures of their fabric samples so I had that handy to help influence and inspire the painting as it progressed.

After the initial sketch, I start blocking in the darkest values along the creek bank.  Then I use the paint to carve out the land forms and hills.

I add the dark reds and burgundies of the canopy leaves overhead.  I mix a lighter value from purples (mixed from the primary reds and blues) and greens(mixed from the primary blues and yellow) for the distance hills and trees and add that along the horizon line. This color is heavier on the purple than the yellow-greens.  I am thinking in terms of what background color will enhance the top layers of gold and orange leaves flickering across the surface. 

An even lighter value is mixed using pale violets and yellows with yellows predominating.   Using a warm color in the background flies in the face of the rule for warmer colors coming forward, cooler colors move back.  But, often, working on location, I see the rules are broken in real life, in nature, all the time.

I mix a sky color using Titanium White and Cerulean Blue and start to block in both the sky and the sky reflected on the creek.

 

When I block in the sky, my palette knife picks up some of the red from the canopy leaves and I get a purpley neutral that I use in the creek and background.

I start adding trees and green for ferns and moss and leaves.

I work the entire surface, background to foreground and back again adding trees, branches, and dancing leaves.  Back and forth, including the reflections and leaves on the water of the creek.

More layers of details are added.

Even more layers added, continuing to work back and forth, throughout the entire painting. 

Making the final touches and tweaking.  

The finished painting!   "Respite in the Forest in Autumn", 40" x 42", oil on panel, c.  2016, by Charlene Marsh.  SOLD

You can compare the finished painting(above) with the painting that the clients originally liked (below).  While they are similar, they are not exactly the same.  You can also see how the rectangular format was converted to a near square format. 
The painting was delivered just in time for Thanksgiving and the client kindly sent me an installation shot.

Looks fabulous!  I am so honored to have my painting hanging in their home.

I hope this blog gives clarity to the commission process so if you are thinking of commissioning a painting for your home or work space, you will have more confidence in your decision to move forward.

Please contact me if you have any questions or suggestions.

Thanks for visiting!

Happy Trails!

Cheers,

Charlene

P.S.  I am preparing an Art Launch in the next couple of weeks so be sure to sign up for THE ART BRUSH newsletter to get information about new work available for purchase at special pricing exclusive to subscribers.   You will also receive art news, tips about color, decorating, feng shui, exhibitions, and more!  As a bonus, when you subscribe, you will immediately receive a FREE one page report on How to Create Health, Wealth, and Harmony Using Fine Art!

032016 24x36 Snow, Commission Oil Painting

This painting was commissioned by a couple who wanted something that would reflect the native forest to hang over their fireplace.  They found my website and then visited my studio/gallery.  They selected their favorite paintings and we discussed what they liked best about each one.  I took notes so I could incorporate the features they particularly loved into a special painting for their living space.  

We also discussed what kind of frame would work best for them, their space, and the painting.  I sent them pictures of samples of frames to select from.  They took exact measurements of their space so I could create a framed painting that would fit perfectly.  

Here's my work space (above).  I use two easels, side by side, to support the painting.  I have track lights overhead to use at night or if it is too overcast.  Otherwise, I like natural light and have plenty in the studio from large windows and skylights.  I have a couple side lights to shine directly on my taboret and palette and one to shine on my reference material, as needed.  In this case, for reference, I have two paintings (one is on the work bench on the left)and a photo of a painting that was adjusted in Photoshop to reflect the dimensions of the 24" x 36" panel.

The couple decided that the painting needed to be 24" x 36" with a 3" wide, mahogany frame.  Incorporating everything we had discussed, I sketched out the painting on the 24" x 36", tinted panel with a brush dipped in a mix of oil, cerulean and magenta crimson.

I mixed a dark black using ultramarine blue and cadmium red medium with a touch of yellow.  I never use a premixed black from the tube.  The black is blocked in where ever there are the darkest darks in the scene.  In this case, the creek bed.  The bluff on the left has more cadmium red and yellow mixed in to give it the earth color of the soil.

The gulleys between the hills are painted in using various mixes of cerulean blue, magenta crimson, ultramarine blue, and cadmium red medium. I mix small portions at a time and dab it in throughout the painting.  I like to "carve" out the hills with the paint before adding the trees.  Using an anatomical metaphor, the initial sketch is the "skeleton", the hills are the "muscles", and the trees and leaves and branches and other details flesh out the "skin".

The background trees, mixed from cadmium red medium, ultramarine blue and lightened with a tiny bit of white, carve out the shape of the hills where they meet the skyline.  Lighter snow shadows are mixed with the brighter cerulean to reflect the sparkling cerulean sky. 

Here, I start to add the highlights to the snow on the hills.   With lots of white, I mix a touch of cadmium red light, cadmium red medium,and a pinch of cadmium yellow light to make the warm highlights to contrast and pop against the cooler, blue shadows of the snow.  I also add the major trees to the landscape.

For the sky, I mix a tad of cerulean with generous amounts of white putting the lightest value along the horizon line next to the trees.

I continue adding trees and more of the creek.  I use leftover colors from the palette to indicate the creek bed with the earth tones and shale.  I mix up the blue-green shale with the cerulean blue, a little bit of cadmium yellow light, and a touch of cadmium red medium, the complementary color, to grey it down.

The delicate beech leaves, bleached out over the winter, are mixed from cadmium red medium, cadmium red light, cadmium yellow, and varying degrees of white, with a touch of ultra blue, again, the complement to grey it down a bit.  The beech leaves are worked over the landscape and particularly in the gulleys where they tend to concentrate.  More trees and branches are added.  The rushing whitewater is added to the falls of the creek and the ripples of the flowing water.

The painting continues to be adjusted, working over the entire surface as well as background and foreground and back again.  I dance close in and back out from the easel, fine tuning the painting until I am satisfied with how it looks. Often I stop when I don't see anything left that "bugs" me!   

As soon as I was done with the painting and, while it was still wet, I shot a photo of it, adjusted it in Photoshop to accurately reflect the colors, and emailed it to my clients.  Knowing how computer monitors can vary in depicting color accurately, I invited them to buzz out to the studio to see the painting in person.  Luckily, they live in the neighboring county and were able to come out the next morning.  

As soon as they stepped in the door, they were ooohhhiing and aaaahhing and I knew they were pleased with the painting.  They told me that when they saw the photo on the computer, it appeared to have more blue (no warm colors) and more purple blue than they preferred (they wanted warmer blues like cerulean).  So they were ecstatic to see the painting in person and see that it totally met their expectations!  I was thrilled, too! 

Here is the finished painting:

"Hill Country in the Snowy Forest", 24" x 36", oil on panel, c. 2016, by Charlene Marsh, #032016 S 24x36.

And here is the painting installed in my clients' home!  Looks absolutely fabulous!  The grand windows to the left feature the same hilly, wooded topography depicted in the painting.  The colors of the painting go perfectly with the decor and woodwork of the home.  This painting is the focal point of the open concept living space and truly makes the heart sing in this home!

Thanks Doug and Saundra for trusting me to create a gorgeous painting just for your home!

Thanks for following along!  Be sure to sign up for The Art Brush newsletter I send out anywhere from once a week to once a month.  Subscribers get special pricing and other goodies.

Happy Trails!

Charlene