Spring Orchard: Complete

Well, seriously—I thought I might go blind with this one. Got out my magnifying glass and everything…

I showed it to my Todd, and all he would say was, “Insane!” To which I responded, “Am not!...Okay, well, maybe a bit.”

For your amusement, here’s a ½ by 1¾ inch section of this 10 x 7½ inch painting. And yes, I know I went a little nuts on the dandelions…

Again, thanks To Michelle Davidson Argyle for the photo to work from!

Spring Orchard: Phase 5

When it's time to wet the white paint, I know I’m close to being done—that’s the case with the dress and the divan. But there’s still lots more to do on the grass and trees…

This is the last time I'll post before before it's finished...

Spring Orchard: Phase 4

Okay, it may not look as if I made much progress—that’s why I’m posting the photo from which I’m working, along with the next phase. (Thank you Michelle Davidson Argyle, photographer and author, for permission!)

One of the things I love about this image is the incongruity of so much refinement amidst the overgrowth of spring; repose in tall grass and dandelions-gone-to-seed. Of course, that the subject is no doubt pondering something she's just read, piques my writerly side…

I’ve decided to portray the orchard background as I see it in the photo, since the focal point is the female subject, rather than the setting—despite the title I’ve given it. By the way, this painting is 7 ½” by 10”

Spring Orchard: Phase 3

Here’s the next phase:

This is where I’m reminded of how much I enjoy rendering fabric. At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get into a lot of detail on the brocade (which is a lacey-looking weave in the fabric that you’ll see when I post the photo—soon), but now I’m kinda looking forward to it…

You may have noticed that I didn’t give the trees and blossoms in the background a whole lot of attention. I need to make a decision on how I want to handle them. To be honest, I’ve never painted a bunch of blossoming trees from afar, and I’m not certain how detailed and in focus to go with it.

Hmmmm…[clenching the paintbrush between my teeth as I lean back and scratch my head]….mmmmm

Spring Orchard: The Wash

Here’s the wash—as usual, it’s not much to look at but does provide a color scheme.

Also, it’s at this point that I actually feel committed to a project. (Of course, if you could see my small stack of unfinished paintings, you’d realize that a wash does not always guarantee that I will finish it—however, with this one, I have a little more motivation.)

A New Project

Well, I figure that I better get going on another painting before I slip back into a slump! I started this one before my last trip to New Hampshire, and now it’s time to get caught up.(For an update on what I've been doing since April, scoot on over to my writing blog.)

This is, of course, the preliminary drawing, and if you’re curious about what I’m working from, skip on over to Michelle Davidson Argyle’s author site and have a peek. I didn’t intend for it to coincide with her giveaway, but I think this will work out rather nicely (since I am mentioning her giveaway, I get entered into the drawing, including and opportunity to recieve a free copy of her new novella Cinders).

  

Anyway, I might try out a variation on my style with this one—I suppose it depends on how detailed I want to get on the trees in the background. I already know I won’t be able to help myself when it comes to the grass…