tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81962868280366336942024-03-19T08:50:31.709-04:00Virginia Parker, painterlife in the studioVirginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.comBlogger385125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-23558887863470323342012-11-18T12:00:00.001-05:002012-11-18T12:00:23.753-05:00Moving Right Along<h2>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">My blog has moved to<a href="http://www.virginiaparker.net/blog/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>www.virginiaparker.net/blog</a></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just fin<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">ished</span> unpacking </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">my brushes, linseed oil<span style="font-size: small;">,</span></span> and paint<span style="font-size: small;">. The light is good, the <span style="font-size: small;">canvas<span style="font-size: small;">es are</span> up on the easels,</span> and the dogs are curled up on the sofa. See you there!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h2>
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Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-48441650440611232972012-11-09T13:31:00.001-05:002012-11-09T13:31:20.895-05:00Tonight's the Night!Have blogged little and painted less, all my attention taken up in preparing for tonight's show. Now I'm in a flurry of excitement, feeling fizzy and carbonated, with goodwill toward all of humanity.<br />
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To recap, in case you are on this page looking for guidance on just where the gallery is and what time the opening begins,<br />
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<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl"><b>Please join me for the debut of my two latest series:<br /> ELEMENTS and LOCATIONS</b><br /> <b>Tonight! Friday, November 9th, 2012 from 7pm to 10pm, </b></span></span><br />
<b><span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl">at the incomparable Mason Murer Fine Art gallery</span></span></b><br />
<b><span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl"><span class="visible"><span class="fsm fwn fcg">199 Armour Dr NE</span>, <span class="fsm fwn fcg">Atlanta, Georgia 30324</span></span> </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl">For more explicit directions go to MasonMurer.com where there are maps and links and so forth.</span></span></b><br />
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That said, I did make an effort on the feathers the other day, and the other bookends. I expect to be firmly back in the saddle by Monday.<br />
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<br />Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-10107798502223124822012-11-02T12:11:00.000-04:002012-11-02T12:11:18.270-04:00Books, True Love, Art Opening<img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_7118.jpg" /><br />Worked
on the books yesterday from 10-2.<br />
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Would have gone on all day, but I had
a special anniversary dinner to make. Grilled prime steak, roasted Jewel
yams,and my pièce de résistance; risotto with porcini
mushrooms, caramelized vidalia onion, fresh green peas and a drizzle of
balsamic glaze. After that fabulous dinner, we smooched it up. We are so
happy. I love that man. <br />
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In art-related news, Mason Murer made a great evite, using a painting by one of their terrific artists, Teresa Fischer.<br />
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Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-32539628997010167062012-10-30T17:38:00.003-04:002012-10-30T17:38:56.238-04:00Bronze d'or, hologram and lovers.Most of the day I pushed the darks and lights of the bronze d'or candelabra, making the shapes more distinct. It's not done, but this is a big step closer.<br />
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Did fiddly outlining on the Lovers Tarot card and began the hologram on the ticket. The painted card is identical to the actual card except for two small changes I've made. Nope, not telling what. <br />
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<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl">Counting down to the debut of my two latest series: ELEMENTS and LOCATIONS, Friday, November 9th, 2012 from 7pm to 10pm, at the incomparable Mason Murer Fine Art gallery. </span></span> <br />
<br />Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-46467325892004537772012-10-28T09:21:00.003-04:002012-10-28T09:21:36.855-04:00 Due Diligence, Artist Style
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Calibri;">Please join me for
the debut of my two latest series: </span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Elements</b></span>
and <b><span style="color: #660000;">Locations</span> </b></span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Calibri;"></span>Friday, November 9</span></b><b><sup><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Calibri;">th</span></sup></b><b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Calibri;">, 2012, from 7pm to 10 pm</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Calibri;"> at the incomparable Mason Murer Fine Art Gallery </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">Maso</span>n Murer Fine Art | 199 Armour Drive | Atlanta, GA 30324
| <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022tel\:404\.879\.1500\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">404.879.1500</span></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Gallery hours: 11 am – 5 pm, Tuesday – Friday, 12 pm – 5 pm
Saturday</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you can't attend but would like to support the artist, go to my website, <a href="http://virginiaparker.net/">virginiaparker.net</a> and click the Facebook LIKE icon on the upper left of the home page. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Easy, free, fast and helpful.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span>Yesterday I sent out an email to everyone who has ever expressed an interest in coming to one of my shows. It's not my favorite part of my artist's life - self promotion doesn't come naturally to me - but I consider it due diligence, so I pull up my big girl panties and get on with it.<br />
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My fabulous spouse came up with the subject line of the email; <b>Virginia's Excellent Night Out</b>. The idea is to take my work seriously. Myself, not so much. I created an event on Facebook too and gave it the same title. There is some overlap between the
email list and my Facebook friends, but they are mostly two separate groups. <br />
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I've been handing out show cards left and right. This, I shamelessly enjoy. I'm proud of my work, and people know at a glance whether it appeals to them. There's nothing manipulative or intrusive about it. No pressure, just a seductive bit of visual pleasure.<br />
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I scribble the opening date on the margin and explain that the show runs through the end of the year. I don't print it on the cards, because so many people seem to think that if they don't go to the opening, it's over. My website, blog, and email are all on the card, so folks that are interested can find out the Where and When easily. I promise everyone they can find this information on my blog, and for the next couple of weeks I'll post the show time/place at the top of the page. <br />
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I'll upload an image of one of the paintings every other day or so on the Facebook event page. Ten works are in the show, which is about two weeks away, so that works out nicely. I'll add little bits of information about them, just because I enjoy that. There is always a story with my work. <br />
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Now back to stroking canvases with paint-laden brushes. <br />
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Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-56228947892743578372012-10-25T16:42:00.000-04:002012-10-25T16:42:39.580-04:00Butterscotch. Lemons. Krugerrands.<img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_7094.jpg" /><br /><br />The golden drapery. All morning. Happy.<br />
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A couple of days of drying now commence. <br />
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Meanwhile handing out showcards left and right, working on a pair of oil sketches promised for this Christmas, and choosing the next water in a tub reflecting the trees and clouds. Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-28990536766947911152012-10-25T08:51:00.001-04:002012-10-25T08:51:43.271-04:00Plotting and SketchingWorked on the Tarot card <i>Knight of Swords</i> earlier this week.<br />
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Today I'll either do a second round of color on the drapery, or work on the candelabra.<br />
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Spent yesterday going over my list of symbols, book titles, dates, and a
phrase from a song I'm planning to include. I made a rough pencil
sketch of the composition and tried different combinations.<br />
Book titles are pretty straightforward - I know which ones I want to
use, and which books I intend to pair them with. Playing around with the
yellow drapery is both more challenging and more fun. It's actually
patterned in red, and I plan to substitute Led Zeppelin references. For example, I
want to use the winged Apollo figure of the Swan Song logo in place of a
tiger.<br />
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I found a few photo references on Google for the capital S on the Swan
Song stationary. I want to try placing it in repeating pattern where there is
actually sort of paisley design.
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Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-79824809039056093532012-10-22T15:24:00.000-04:002012-10-22T15:24:19.058-04:00Patience & Precision<img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_7086.jpg" /><br /><br />Re-worked
the chalice, took out the oyster shaped reflection on the front, then re-worked the
tangerine, moving the navel higher and scumbling more tangerine color.<br />
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Scumbled sienna and umber on the blade of the sword. Scumbled yellows
and ivories over all the candles and added wicks.<br />
<br />Messed with the highlights on the maiden's hair and face, and added more ivory to the candles around her.<br />
<br />Spent several hours doing most of the tiny black outlines on the Lovers tarot card, plus warming the yellow.<br /><br />All out of patience and precision.<br />
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Nap time.Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-59472293348316721282012-10-19T14:34:00.001-04:002012-10-19T14:34:37.020-04:00Early morning, Walking DeadFinished today. Varnishing Sunday. Everything is done for the November 9th show opening. Big whew.<br /><img alt="Image" height="195" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/Lightgrid18x36oc.jpg" width="400" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">LightGrid</span> 18x36" oil on canvas<br /><br />Detail. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9HgU3xD8Rd0FWi3cypggV65xiFkWpAs0J-lqcmCNZN9AbsaduKYKVkYk8DO-q1JYHxNCT2c16nqrGTu3lLZ_moQw9YwC6KJucnIFoEeWo-LvYqel7c6J1Eu2o0ng6h2_JOXPwDpJiqmS/s1600/IMG_7081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9HgU3xD8Rd0FWi3cypggV65xiFkWpAs0J-lqcmCNZN9AbsaduKYKVkYk8DO-q1JYHxNCT2c16nqrGTu3lLZ_moQw9YwC6KJucnIFoEeWo-LvYqel7c6J1Eu2o0ng6h2_JOXPwDpJiqmS/s320/IMG_7081.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Worked from a photo taken last year on the Senoia, Ga location for the The Walking Dead show. My favorite part - besides the contrast between the violent, apocalyptic story and the calm, pastoral landscape - is the shadow of the ropes behind the grid cloth. I can feel the heat and hear the cicadas. <br /><br />Going to paint one more of this series - <span style="font-style: italic;">BarnSet.</span> This looks like a straight up Wyeth, a bucolic interior of a barn with
hay bales and light coming through the cracks between the boards, yet it
is totally fabricated - a set built to be torched. It'll just have to wait for the next show to take a bow.<br /><br />Dragged two
tubs - one round tin and one oblong and brass - around the front yard
this morning and took hipsta photos. I want to do another one of those square
Elements paintings of water reflecting sky. It might be my new tomato, i.e my go-to image for multiple variations. (Think Degas - dancers or Monet - haystacks).<br />
<br />Tried another set-up for <i>Earth</i>. I
started with the dead bird, now 90% skeleton, on a mossy bit of lawn. Scavenged the yard for appropriate props. Threw in a toadstool, a pine
cone, a few acorns, a dogwood branch and some maple leaves. We'll see.Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-24723985441025969622012-10-18T14:54:00.000-04:002012-10-18T14:54:35.723-04:00Changes<div class="content">
Worked on the wood and the iron hardware.<br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_7070.jpg" /><br /><br />Changed the sword refllections again, and this time I think I'm sticking.<br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_7072.jpg" /><br /><br />Decided
to change the chalice - I don't know what that odd, oyster-esque
reflection is, and it's smack dab in the center of the painting. It's
too important to not know, you know? <br />Went through original photos and picked out these to work from:<br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/c3.jpg" />. <br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/c2.jpg" /><br /><br />Just sitting down to lunch. Hard to stop, but my eyes are blurry, a sure sign that it's quitting time.</div>
Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-44090255182870001742012-10-16T17:24:00.000-04:002012-10-16T18:05:57.231-04:00Intentional Blues Spent most of the day mixing and painting blues. There are eight intentional variations, plus lots of merged edges that make another shade altogether.<br />
<img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_7061.jpg" /><br />
<br />
While
I was working on the background cloth, I did a first round of paint on the embroidered stars, though they will
have to cleaned up and shaded once the blue is dry. They are pretty
wonky now. I shifted the stars around too, adding some and deleting
others, and did the highlights on the iron lock. Next round will be the wood of the chest, and the iron handles. Maybe a bit of veining on the marble. <br />
<br />
Now it's time to put my feet up and have a cup of Earl Grey tea, toast and jam.Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-43086095949738227082012-10-16T09:48:00.001-04:002012-10-16T09:48:53.569-04:00Knight of SwordsPlaced the Knight Tarot card colors, fiddled with the Guinevere
face, did a second round on the Lovers Tarot card. Too wet to add the
black outlines on the Tarot cards that will make the images pop. This is
where self-discipline comes in handy. <br />I do like the juxtaposition
of the crisp graphic cards and the softer natural face. I'm even okay
with this version of the portrait.<br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_7056.jpg" /><br /><br />Itching to do another round on the blue background cloth. Mixing blues today.<br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_7059.jpg" />Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-4355128816461991382012-10-13T10:15:00.000-04:002012-10-13T10:15:40.927-04:00Showing Off <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/lp-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image" border="0" height="248" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/lp-1.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
Burned the bacon while making a show card for the November 9th exhibit at Mason Murer. Win/win! Lose weight while you make art.<br /><br />
I
love ordering the cards and handing them out. It's the only form of
self promotion I actually enjoy. Went ahead and designed this one myself
using the thrifty Vistaprint online people. I wish both sides were
glossy, but doing it this way is very cost effective.<br />
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<a href="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/lp-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image" border="0" height="248" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/lp-2.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Please excuse the fuzzy images. They're screen grabs from the online
site. I was too excited to wait the two weeks for the card to arrive.
Close counts in horseshoes, right?</div>
<br />I ordered a hundred on the heaviest cardstock
they offered. I'm so pleased with this
series I might do another version, working with a capable graphic
designer friend.<br /><br /><br />Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-77119730980682250382012-10-11T14:12:00.002-04:002012-10-11T14:12:44.437-04:00Candles, Books, Maps, & FeathersMoving right along. Blocked in the upright books, and the creased and folded map.<br />
<img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_7042.jpg" /><br />
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Placed
the book beneath the candelabra. It's actually a leather bound volume of
poetry by Sir Walter Scott. The cover is patterned, and stamped with red
and gold. It have a different title before I'm done with it.<br />
I shaded the candles a
bit and futzed around ineffectively with the maiden portrait. Then I plugged
in the basic shapes of the three hawk feathers, which fall from the top
right corner, under an arm of the candelabra. and just beneath and in
front of the sword blade.<br />
<img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_7043.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Down to the knight Tarot card, and the iron handles on the front of the chest. Once
those are done, I begin again, first with the blue background, then the
yellow drape and the wooden chest. The next layer of blue will make a
striking difference, ditto the yellow drape. After that the detail work -
veining on marble, the down on the shaft of the each feather, the
pitted skin of the tangerine - will only be visible in a close up photo, though it will make me very happy.<br />
<img alt="Image" height="340" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_7040.jpg" width="400" /><br />
Stars, pattern on the yellow drape, book titles, print on the tickets and all other writing goes on last.Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-34476529639887848782012-10-10T16:23:00.001-04:002012-10-10T16:23:30.592-04:00textures in shadows<br />Today I painted texture into the road of <span style="font-style: italic;">LightGrid</span>, mottled the shadows, and punched more darks into the tree. And away went five hours.<br />
I have two more weeks to get this done and dry enough to varnish properly. The sky needs one more round, the trees in the distance could use some subtle textures, and I need to crisp up the metal edges of the light grid frame. <br /><img alt="Image" height="218" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_7039.jpg" width="400" /><br />
<br />Yesterday was spent painting the spines of the books on the commissioned still life, but the photo, snapped on the
fly right before I placed it in my drying room, is blurry. I'll wait
until my next round of work tomorrow, take another photo and post that. Probably I'll work on the book beneath the candles, and the three falling
feathers. Once I do those and the Knight tarot card, I'll have paint on
every part of the canvas.<br />
Then the real work begins.Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-67373473242769890382012-10-07T16:27:00.000-04:002012-10-07T16:27:05.889-04:00Impromptu photography studio, part deuxDid photography of the newly varnished paintings so I could
send them along to the gallery and get them up on my website.
Asked Robert to help me set up a c-stand with a flag so I could
redirect/block light that bounced off the varnish - always an issue for
me. He took over, and I let him. It's good to be married to the Key Rigging Grip.<br /><br />I was heading out to the carport, bright but indirect light, and he decided the kitchen was a better idea.<br />Here he is in action:<br />
<img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/photo.jpg" /><br /><br />Once again:<br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/rkkitchen.jpg" /><br />The toughest one was <span style="font-style: italic;">BlueScreen</span>,
which had a diffused glare right in the center. He lowered the flag,
tilted the canvas and I held up a black bounce card, which absorbs
rather than ricochets light. <br />Victory.<br />
<br />
My otherwise respectable refrigerator is a fluttering hodge podge of postcards, family photos, poems, receipts and a half-eaten dollar bill (bad dog). Also an inexcusable number of magnets purchased in art museum gift shops.Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-9377356593022938912012-10-06T16:59:00.000-04:002012-10-06T16:59:48.863-04:00Varnishing DaySpent the morning varnishing five finished paintings for the November 9th show at Mason Murer. One more to go. <br />Lined
them up on a sawhorse and wood boards, and went down the line with a
big brush, drizzling Soluvar out of the tin and spreading it evenly.<br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/Vn2.jpg" /><br />
I'm still finding sticky patches in random places on my skin. Cleaned
the brush with mineral spirits, then, an hour or two later, wiped the
edges of the paintings down. The soluvar and mineral spirits fumes made
me dizzy. Mosquitoes and gnats were lurching through the air, but it was perfect drying conditions - low humidity and warm with a cool breeze.<br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/vn1.jpg" /><br /><br />Four hours later, brought in the paintings and placed them in my studio long enough to take a photo for my Facebook page. <br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/studio9_12.jpg" /><br />
I love how the three square elements paintings in the center - <i>Air, Fire, Water</i> - pop. Wish
I had time to paint a new <i>Earth</i> before the show, but it will be all I
can do to get the third location painting done. <br />A very satisfying day. Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-85105824381618001872012-10-04T14:17:00.001-04:002012-10-04T14:17:36.880-04:00Korean chest, candles & curly hairPut in the princess portrait.
First round, and could be worse. From a distance it's not bad.
It's mostly curly princess hair and candles all around, which handily echo the candelabra to the right. Putting it in a frame really helped.<br /><br /><img alt="Image" height="400" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_6972-Version2.jpg" width="273" /><br />
Spent the lion's share of the morning on that. Stopping nearly required an intervention, but until this layer is dry, all I'd be doing is stirring reasonably nice tones into mud. <br />
<br />To distract myself, I blocked in the big iron lock (in the center just under the sword). It's a wonderful old wooden chest, sold to me forty years ago as a Korean money chest. <br /><img alt="Image" height="300" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_6972.jpg" width="400" /><br />I
love the clasps and handles. There's metal bracketing each corner, plus a
pair of large, hand-forged hinges. The top half of the front swings
down, and there are a few small drawers along the top inside. There are
metal handles on the ends for carrying it, like a camp trunk. No idea how
old it really is. Bought it back in the early seventies from some antique place
in the Carolinas. Probably Charleston or Mount Pleasant, but possibly along the road to Black Mountain. It's packed with old board games and puzzles from when the kids were younger.Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-87465626161175364752012-10-02T18:49:00.002-04:002012-10-02T18:55:07.584-04:00Leaves of LightGridWorking on LightGrid, the last of the location paintings.<br />
<img alt="Image" height="211" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_6967.jpg" width="400" /><br />
Added
leaves to the left side of the tree, and more leaf shapes and
color on the right. side. Worked in multiple layers over the pasture in
the background and along the roadside. The trick is to keep the
background tree line and the pasture unfocused, then indicate the linear
wisps of weeds and grass along the roadside without making them
actually distinct. <br />
<br />
The dirt road got another layer of base
colors. It's ready for the detail of ruts and gravel. The only untouched part is the dark shadow cast by the tree. It will take
a couple of layers to achieve the right depth of shade, yet build in
subtle variation to show the ground beneath. Next round, probably<br />
<br />
Here's
a detail of the tree to show those leaves I was adding
for the last two hours. There are more to come, especially darkest
leaves.<br />
<img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_6969.jpg" /><br />
I
think when I work on the road, I'm going to turn the canvas upside
down, so I can focus on making the marks of shape and the volume and not
be thinking 'oh golly, all that gravel.'Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-78131965373751660922012-09-28T19:13:00.002-04:002012-09-28T20:00:15.023-04:00 Tarot & Ticket<img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/carddetail.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Focused in on details of the O2 concert ticket, and <i class="bbc">The Lovers</i>
Tarot card. The concert ticket has a slice of planet earth with faint
latitude/longitude grid lines and narrow spires <span style="color: red;">(EDIT: in fact it's a
view of the O2 arena itself, a tensile structure. "Most tensile
structures are supported by some form of compression or bending
elements, such as masts (as in </span><a class="bbc_url" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_O2_%28London%29" rel="nofollow external" title="External link"><span style="color: red;">The O<sub class="bbc">2</sub></span></a><span style="color: red;">, formerly the </span><a class="bbc_url" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Dome" rel="nofollow external" title="External link"><span style="color: red;">Millennium Dome</span></a><span style="color: red;">), compression rings or beams." Thanks Wikipedia. </span>) with a
round hologram moon and pinpoints of stars. There's some refining details to
come here, along with the printed text and the O2 logo. Making those stratas of blues
was a pleasure, and pondering what I'm going to do for the hologram is
perplexing. Still thinking about it.<br />
<br />
The Tarot card is simple; vibrant hues, mostly primary colors. I concentrated on not dragging or smearing colors
into each other, yet smoothing and blending the edges between them. Not a
task for the faint hearted. Once it's thoroughly dry, I'll work on outlining
every object and figure in black. <br />
<br />
After the loose volume and form of the marble bookends, doing the card's
graphic design felt like painting a miniature. Even putting in the base
color required my #0 and #1 brushes, but I like switching around from
loose to precise. Artist's yoga.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_6957.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Tech
side bar: When you obsess on detail, you tend to mow through a lot of
small brushes. They have a limited working life anyway - delicate to start, with fewer brush hairs, and those
need to be exactly aligned. Rough use or poor handling turn them into
something that looks like a squirrel's tail in no time.<br />
After much
trial and error I found Silver Ruby Satins. They hold up to the weight
of oil, they load paint well and - if carefully cleaned - far outlast
all others. I have 38 of them at last count, in the three smallest
sizes. Mostly Filberts and Brights. I love them and treat them with
respect. That's one of the reasons I have so many - they'll last longer
if you switch around. The other reason is my kids figured out that
they are a guaranteed hit for all those pesky gift giving occasions,
like Mother's Day.Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-39563386201879647942012-09-27T15:55:00.002-04:002012-09-27T15:55:22.073-04:00BookendsThis morning I roughed in the two hawk marble bookends. It took three
hours, but at least half an hour was spent cleaning up my palette and mixing
paint.<br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/TSRTShawk.jpg" /><br />
At the end of the day, I painted in the hilt of the sword by cleaning off my brushes. You
can get the best neutrals from a dirty brush. <br /><br />Here's
a detail of the hawks - the one on the left has a broken beak. I'm
going to look at the unbroken one in a mirror to figure out how to paint
it. <br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/hawkdetail.jpg" />Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-39613044885924732752012-09-25T14:04:00.000-04:002012-09-25T14:04:13.020-04:00Smokin'<span style="font-style: italic;">Fire</span> is mostly done:<br /><br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/fire10.jpg" /><br />Spent this morning adding smoke, adding contrast and color to the burnt pages, and crisping edges all over. <br /><br />Wrote
the Dante's Inferno excerpt from Canto V in Italian on the page on the left. The
trickiest part was placing the sentences correctly on the page. I ended
up writing the first and longest one backwards across the top of the page, then
positioning the following lines beneath the center word and painting in
both direction until I ran out of page. <br />Have mercy.<br /> <br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Per più fiate li occhi ci sospinse <br />quella lettura, e scolorocci il viso; <br />ma solo un punto fu quel che ci vinse. <br /> <br />Quando leggemmo il disiato riso <br />esser basciato da cotanto amante, <br />questi, che mai da me non fia diviso, <br /> <br />la bocca mi basciò tutto tremante. <br />Galeotto fu 'l libro e chi lo scrisse: <br />quel giorno più non vi leggemmo avante.</span><br /><br />Now that the lettering is done, I'll be making those edges a touch more burnt siena shading into the carbon in a day or two.<br />
<br /> I can plan on varnishing it in two weeks, along with <span style="font-style: italic;">Air</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">BlueScreen</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">BoomLift</span>. Then I'll be hopping from <span style="font-style: italic;">LightGrid</span>,
which needs a lot of work, and the TSRTS, right up until a week before
the November show. Then it'll be all TSRTS, all the time.Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-41202940825803326642012-09-22T20:11:00.000-04:002012-09-22T20:11:28.949-04:00Holy Grail <br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_6938_zpsce26016e.jpg" /> <br />
This morning I listened to a half hour press conference with the three
living member of Led Zeppelin, promoting their concert video Celebration
Day. It was surprisingly entertaining to hear. Plenty of dry wit and
smooth, expert handling of the
(worshipful) press.<br />Meanwhile,
I painted the chalice. Patiently did lots of fine detail, because
that's all it is. Blended very carefully. The reward is that it will
only require a few more layers to be complete. Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-12547850430737452912012-09-21T19:42:00.002-04:002012-09-21T19:42:57.380-04:00Bronze D'orRoughed in the candelabra, on the right. <br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_6937_zpsb1c91bb7.jpg" /><br />It's
one of a pair of French bronze d'or candelabras. The
way the light struck this is why I ultimately chose this particular
image to work from. I like the way the formality and heft of it balances with the ease of the organic, curving shapes. The final image will have an even starker contrast of
light and dark. <br />Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8196286828036633694.post-56173067230825462192012-09-20T20:18:00.000-04:002012-09-20T20:18:05.625-04:00En garde!Today I began the sword. The metal blade is a series of reflections -
like stitching together little abstracts. It's still far from what I'm aiming toward. It's like creating a sketchy map of shapes to help me build the layers I need to get the values I want. The hilt is wrapped leather. I also plugged in the first of
many layers of white; on the candles, reflections in the chalice, the
edges of the tarot cards and the concert ticket. <br /><br /><img alt="Image" src="http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/VaParker/IMG_6935_zps259f01b1.jpg" />Virginia Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970167810951835074noreply@blogger.com0