Against the Wall Again
by Linda Schweitzer on 4/27/2009 2:28:12 PM
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...Against the Wall III...
Oil on Canvas - 6" x 6"
This is the last of my red tulip against the wall paintings... at least for now. I had wanted to do a series of the same subject, using the same colors because:
- They might make a nice set if displayed together.
- I wanted to experiment with using a different medium for each one.
If you are not an artist, you might want to stop reading at this point, because here comes some "shop talk."
The mediums were:
- Gamblin Neo-Meglip--This turned out to be the most difficult to work with, because the brushstrokes showed in the transparent paint, and the paint started setting up, becoming sticky after about an hour.
- Garrett Copal Concentrate--A resin, not really a medium, seemed to make the paint thicker. Really easy to paint with! Strokes blended like a dream. Did not seem to speed drying. Because it thickened the paint, I ended up using more mineral spirits than usual, but that didn't seem to increase the transparency of the paint. (You know the expression, "Oils slip, resins grip")
- Grumbacher Copal Painting Medium--After the above experience, I decided to try this medium, even though it is a synthetic alkyd medium. At least it is an attempt to duplicate the effects of a copal medium. It did thin the paint and give better flow. Did not become sticky before the painting was finished. Paint seemed to have more body and less transparency than when using Liquin (another alkyd medium).
So, which did I like better? Garrett Copal Concentrate, though I'm now curious to try Garrett's Copal Medium, which I expect would thin the paint a bit, so I don't have to use so much mineral spirit.
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Against the Wall
by Linda Schweitzer on 4/25/2009 2:23:58 PM
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..Against the Wall II...
oil on canvas - 6" x 6"
Here is the tulip from yesterday. It is a different pose and lighting, but still against the wall.
Digital cameras seem to have a lot of trouble with reds, and I had to drastically turn down the saturation and cool the photograph's colors to make it look like the painting. The tulip is supposed to be a true red. Of course, monitors vary in color temperature too...
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Uncooporative Tulip
by Linda Schweitzer on 4/24/2009 2:19:55 PM
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...Against the Wall...
Oil on canvas - 6" x 6"
I was going to paint another classic tulip, this time with a red flower. Well, as soon as I got the tulip indoors, it splayed its petals. Then it refused to stand up straight. I finally ended up leaning it against the wall to get it into the right position. It reminds me of those police shows, where the arresting cop says, "Alright! Against the wall!" (Can you believe, when I was in school, we used artificial flowers--artificial fruit too.)
I used a lot of transparent painting here, to get the glow.
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Daffodils II
by Linda Schweitzer on 4/12/2009 2:07:29 PM
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...Daffodils II...
Oil on canvas - 6" x 6"
I wonder if there is a deeper significance here? Or is it just that when working on a 6" square that I want to complete that day, I just don't want a lot of detail. A lot of daily painters just paint single objects... maybe I should try that?
But when you have two, or more, they seem to relate to each other, so it seems to give the painting a story, if only in the viewer's mind. What is the story here?
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Daffodils
by Linda Schweitzer on 4/5/2009 5:58:56 PM
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 ...Daffodils...
oil on canvas - 6" x 6"
It seems like every time I post a painting, I think, "what to say about this one?" And because these little paintings are constant challenges and experiments, the first thing I think of to say is usually, "That was so hard!" Well, of course it was hard! That's what makes it fun!
I kicked thalo blue off my palette, and used the milder Sevres blue (a Rembrandt color). The pigments are thalo blue mixed with white, and it allows me to get bright greens without it being so overpowering. This is actually the second daffodil painting. For the first one I did use thalo blue, then realized there was no way I could paint over it, as when doing the edges of the petals, without it mixing into the white and causing blue daffodils. I almost wiped it off, but decided to let it dry, then paint over it. So, another daffodil painting will be coming in a few days.
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Reflections in Glass
by Linda Schweitzer on 3/30/2009 2:08:06 PM
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 ...Pansy...
oil on canvas - 6" x 6"
I wonder how many artists have gone insane trying to paint reflections in glass? I thought it would be a fun challenge, and it was! But these are daily paintings, meaning they are supposed to be simple subjects that don't take very long to paint. I remember taking a workshop with Don Eddy, who made a name for himself painting reflections in glass--row upon row of glasses, in display windows, in a photo-realistic style. Now that he is older, he says he was showing off when he did it, trying to impress other artists. (I know it sure impressed me!) It made him one of 5 living artists included in Jansen's History of Art (4th ed), the standard introductory college art history text. However, he feels that art should have a deeper meaning, and of course that is good too. But there's nothing wrong with showing off, in my opinion. Just shout, "Hey world! Look at this! Isn't it great!" After all, athletes do it all the time.
Anyway, after all this talking, I guess what I'm trying to say is, "Reflections in glass sure are hard," without sounding like I'm whining...
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At Last...
by Linda Schweitzer on 3/7/2009 4:07:48 PM
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 ...First Crocuses...
6" x 6" - oil on canvas The arrival of spring is always exciting! While it isn't officially here yet, the first crocuses always bring the first color, and the promise of more new life to come. We had a beautiful day today, with temps in the 70's, sunshine and crocuses.
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Pink Rose redo
by Linda Schweitzer on 2/5/2009 2:28:04 PM
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 6"x 6" - oil on canvas
Well, not being happy with the first try, I did the rose over again. It seemed like when I added white to the color, it made it grayer. So, to be scientific about this, I only changed one variable: the white. I used flake (lead) white for the second one. I have known for years that flake white is warmer and more transparent than titanium or zinc white, but hadn't been using it because of the toxicity of lead. And usually I paint landscapes.
Just to compare, I mixed each of the two whites with permanent rose, and here were the results:
 I don't know if you can tell on your monitor, but the top row is Utrecht White, and it is much duller and cooler in the middle values than the second row, which is Winton Flake White. Funny how you can know things and not remember that you know them, until there is a problem. Then you go, "Ah, yes, maybe if I had done this..."
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Pink Rose
by Linda Schweitzer on 2/4/2009 2:24:23 PM
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 6"x6" - oil on canvas
With Valentine's Day approaching, the stores are full of roses. They are hard to paint, but of course, I regard that as a challenge. I'm not entirely happy with it, but am posting it anyway. Hey, it is my first attempt at painting a rose.
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