Saturday, January 03, 2009

Bowl of Sunshine



oil on canvas, 20" x 16"

I had all sorts of intentions today to go and paint plein air. I spent at least an hour yesterday evening packing up watercolours, brushes (both oil and watercolour0 pencils, drawing pens, water, jam jars, plastic plates to act as palettes, kitchen towl, an old tea towel, two canvases (carefully organised cardboard to protect these) and woke this morning to a deluge. The best laid plans of mice and men ..............

So still life it had to be. Now I have long held that I paint best when I am listening to music and it really is important what music I am listening to. I love things I can dance around to (pictures of Anita prancing around with palette and brushes in hand!) and my new favourite art music is Gabriela and Rodrigues. They play this funky flamenco type music - great beat! So this is what you get when you paint to their music.

I had such fun painting this though it started off badly. I washed the canvas with alizarin and rubbed it into the canvas. That in itself was hard as I had gessoed this canvas and sanded and gessoed and resanded until the surface was completely smooth. And boy does that surface suck up the paint. I then blocked in the main colours in thick paint and then painted into that layer. A real wet in wet challenge! I'm afraid its not a great photo as the wet paint is reflecting light - will try for better tomorrow.

New Year's Resolution 3 - Find enjoyment in everything you do.

7 comments:

Jeanette Jobson said...

Sunshine indeed this is. I love the bright summery colours. And on the cusp of a snowstorm, its very welcome!

Plein air is a challenge with weather. Do we really have to suffer for our art? I may be trying my hand at the view from various windows of the house when weather defeats me.

Funny, I listen to music when I paint, but can't abide it when I draw. I need complete silence then.
Currently, its the original Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield that keeps my brush moving.

Robyn Sinclair said...

If this is what happens when it rains, it has to be a good thing! Beautiful, Anita. And what a wonderful steady hand you must have for the edge of that bowl.

I'm just discovering how difficult wet in wet can be!

Stacy said...

Anita, what a lovely watercolor!! Those lemons sure are the picture of sunshine. I find that I paint best with music on too. My theory is that the music occupies just enough of my brain that I can't get into a really nitpicky over-analytical mood about the painting. Listening to a football game on TV also works, but any other program on TV has me looking up to watch too often and is distracting.

Anonymous said...

Very pretty Anita.
Sunshine is bouncing all around the piece.

Anita said...

Jeanette - its funny that it came out so sunny when it was such a horrible day outside. I'm convinced it was the music!

Robyn - I decided that the secret of wet on wet is just to slap it on and hope it works!

Stacy - I find TV distracting too.

Robyn - thank you.

Lisa Lorenz said...

Beautiful sunshine! Justs love this! I like your new year resolutions! I will apply them too! xoxo LIsa

Anita said...

Lisa - thank you! Sticking to the resolutions is going to take some work but I am determined to at least try!

all artwork is copyright of Anita Murphy 2006/2007/2008/2009