Taking a break from the Browning Shotgun series to work on a few small pieces for the Swan Coach House Gallery’s annual Little Things Mean A Lot holiday show. Everything must be 8×8″ or smaller. I pulled elements from still lifes – a calla lily from QWERTY, a box of vintage shotgun shells, and a brace of doves from Sweet Sixteen, and a typewriter ribbon from Herald Square. I added a sliced tomato because I like painting them.
Went to Binders and chose a variety of shapes and grounds; three 5×7″ wood panels, a 6×6″canvas on wood and a 6×8″ masonite board. My notion was to paint quick, loose oil sketches, and to leave the wood panel backgrounds unpainted. First reality check – realizing I needed three sanded coats of gesso placed precisely beneath the area to be painted. That was the end of ‘quick.’
First, the vintage box of shotgun shells on basswood panel, 5×7″. I abandoned the idea of loose, though it won’t be to my usual finish. Some edges are wobbly and a couple of ellipses aren’t right yet, but I’ll fix that on the next round. And there is lettering yet to come. Maybe four days in all? Hanging on to the idea of not painting the wood panel background, but that may change. My plan for the wood sides is to rub on a very light coat of stain – thinking a dark honey.
Best time I had today was painting the pair of doves on a 6×6″ canvas on board. Did a faint drawing first, then painted wet on wet. This is what works as a loose oil sketch – feathers, in three tones. Once it dries I’ll do a bit of layering and highlighting, because I cannot resist the textured edges of the feathers.
I’ve done two passes on the tomato on the 6×8″ masonite panel. Need a couple layers on the background, and probably another four rounds on the tomatoes themselves, though they might surprise me.
Tomorrow I’ll start the calla lily on a 5×7′ basswood panel. The panel is gessoed, sanded and ready to go. The lily’s appeal lies in its sensuous curve, subtle variations of pale neutrals, and a tiny flash of green stem. The simplicity of it should work well with the wood panel background.
The fun of this show for me, is trying things out. Plus the near instant gratification of seeing an idea through in the space of a few weeks instead of multiple months.
