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| At Evening's End 16 x 20 inch oil on canvas panel SOLD |
This painting was in the works for so long, I can't remember when I started it. It is a very detailed work for my lack of artistic ability, but I am patting myself on the back because I had some specific visions and they came to be. To begin with I wanted to paint a scene in a room because that is what my next exhibit is going to be called...Rooms. I also wanted a fireplace in the scene and from that point everything else sort of happened. The figures revealed themselves as I painted. As the figure on the left appeared I thought "why not make this one a man?" and there you have it. Their story is up for discussion.
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| At Evening's End detail |
The picture hanging on the wall was originally a landscape painting, but then I thought it would be more interesting to make it a portrait of this couple.
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| At Evening's End detail |
This chair beneath their portrait was added at the very last. One chair just didn't make sense. I made the pillows blue...they sort of fight with all the earth tones in the rest of the painting, but something about the pop of color worked in my opinion. The pillows could have been any color with any pattern, it was hard to decide which way to go. They were more of a black, but I thought they were boring that way.
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| At Evening's End detail |
The fireplace was actually pretty easy, which was a pleasant surprise. I used a knife to smear on the paint in spots which made them look like stone...or at least I think they look like stone. The wooden mantle, the lantern and the flames in the fireplace were pure luck too. I looked at images of fire on the internet to help me.
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| At Evening's End detail |
The hardest part of this painting was the man. I don't paint many men and for a long time his figure and his face looked very feminine. When I smeared light blue on his face to create sort of razor stubble I said "ah ha!", then broadened his shoulders and voila...a man...a dude!
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| At Evening's End detail |
The woman was the easy part...at least this one was. However trying to create wrinkles and light where her thumb is indenting the pillow was impossible and I gave up on it. I even took a picture of my own hand grasping a pillow to use as a reference, but I think the small area I was painting in made it too difficult.
There is something special to me about this painting and it makes me kind of sad to think of actually selling it, so I might change my mind.
This is one of the oil paintings that needs oiling out because it dried so dully. I am tempted to just spray it with Kamar varnish which I know will make the colors pop, but it adds so much gloss and I am not sure that's what I want for this piece. I think somewhere in the middle of high gloss and very matte would be best. I am open to suggestions if you have any.
I hope you all had a great weekend! Thank you for visiting!
