I love Muriel, and I love this image of her blue pitcher which she uses as a flower vase. I took a photo of the pitcher and then added in my own image of lilies. There's a small version of this painting in our home in Philadelphia. Here is a photo of that smaller painting:
For Florida, with it's terrific light and large walls, I decided to do this painting at 48" x 36." Although I don't usually blog my process, unless I'm doing something for someone else, my good friend Nola asked me to blog this one and so here it is.
Here I've shortened and put more shape and detail into the flower petals, and I've started to put more texture into the background. Still dark on the right side, but necessary to give the flower a chance to show up. There is more depth in the painting so I'm happy about that. Leaves are still the wrong color, but I've started breaking that up using some sky blue and aqua. This all needs to dry before I get back into the background and work that up, but the pitcher also needs some work as there is too much white in it. I'll go back to the original painting for detailing there. will wait a few days to let the background and leaf paint rest.
Started in on the purple background and I like this color a lot better. Left the purple in some strategic spots, though, so we'll see how that works. Started reducing the leaf colors and that's going better. Also worked on the stamens/pistils and the reddish color at the ends. Worked up the petals better. Not quite there. The flower on the right is finished (haha).
Next I'll work on finishing the pitcher and the bottom of the painting which needs some shadowing and not that mess thing that I put there. Then back to the leafs to give some detailing. Close to done done done done (a la Dragnet….).
Ok, well here is the latest iteration of the painting. I'm working all over, except at the bottom. Added more paint to the pitcher and scoped out more of the reflections and shadows. Worked on the middle flower to give it more definition. This consisted of doing, undoing, doing, undoing etc etc (wipe on, wipe off…) until exhaustion. Also lightened the leafs. Unfortunately, the smaller one is looking more like zucchini squash so that's not good.
But, it is starting to look more like a finished painting. Something to be said for that. It's better than the original painting, I think, and it's better than how it started. That's not always (usually?) the case so we march ever onward.
The painting is hanging in the dining room. It can hang there and reproach me indefinitely. After several days "off," I've waded back in to work on the background and tune up the flowers. Also worked on the bottom of the painting and, just to make me feel good, signed my name. But there is a shadow missing at the bottom of the painting. I'm thinking I'll get a similar vase, light it, and see what the shadow should be. Later cakey...
Ok, so I waited. Amazing how the painting doesn't change while I'm gone! Anyway, spent some time yesterday and today working on the bottom of the painting and the leaves, and the vase, and the flower bud (in other words, on everything but the flowers!). I didn't like the color of the leaves so worked on them. Also wanted to lighten the left side of the painting where the light is theoretically come from. I also "lit" a blue vase to get an idea for what the shadows should look like. So that led me to the bottom of the painting and to do some more on the vase itself. But, I didn't do a lot, and the shadow on the table is pretty tentative, but it's there.
Next step would be to work more on the pathetic shadow, although as I look at the photo it's not half bad as it straggles across the table. I also want to get some shadowing down behind the vase on the wall and get rid of one of the diagonal light streaks on the base (the one that's, of course, in the middle...). The streaky dark areas behind the vase could be smoothed out into a shadow idea. So, it's coming along and I'm not unhappy (yet--hah!).
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| Muriel's Pitcher |
For Florida, with it's terrific light and large walls, I decided to do this painting at 48" x 36." Although I don't usually blog my process, unless I'm doing something for someone else, my good friend Nola asked me to blog this one and so here it is.
As I started this painting, I realized that I didn't have a photo of the original pitcher, but that I did have photos of the lilies. So I knew right off that I would be at a disadvantage visually on the pitcher, but of course, that didn't stop me! Since Nola didn't ask me about blogging the painting until I had shown her one of it underway, I don't have any early photos. I decided the slim the pitcher down, however, in order to accentuate the gesture. Here's the first photo that I took:
The basic layout of the painting is done and the canvas is covered with paint. I felt that the leaf colors are wrong, but not ready to figure them out. Also, the flowers are very unformed,and the background color too flat. Nice start, but blah!
However, the tradeoff for pushing ahead is that you can get a mess, which actually started happening fairly quickly!!
Now the background is streaky and it hasn't accomplished a whole lot. The outlines on the flowers are a beginning only. Also, as I attempted to make the pistil and stamens more pronounced, they weren't quite right either.
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| Muriel's pitcher #1 |
The basic layout of the painting is done and the canvas is covered with paint. I felt that the leaf colors are wrong, but not ready to figure them out. Also, the flowers are very unformed,and the background color too flat. Nice start, but blah!
However, the tradeoff for pushing ahead is that you can get a mess, which actually started happening fairly quickly!!
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| Muriel's Pitcher #2 |
Now the background is streaky and it hasn't accomplished a whole lot. The outlines on the flowers are a beginning only. Also, as I attempted to make the pistil and stamens more pronounced, they weren't quite right either.
 |
| Muriel's pitcher #3 |
Here I've shortened and put more shape and detail into the flower petals, and I've started to put more texture into the background. Still dark on the right side, but necessary to give the flower a chance to show up. There is more depth in the painting so I'm happy about that. Leaves are still the wrong color, but I've started breaking that up using some sky blue and aqua. This all needs to dry before I get back into the background and work that up, but the pitcher also needs some work as there is too much white in it. I'll go back to the original painting for detailing there. will wait a few days to let the background and leaf paint rest.
Started in on the purple background and I like this color a lot better. Left the purple in some strategic spots, though, so we'll see how that works. Started reducing the leaf colors and that's going better. Also worked on the stamens/pistils and the reddish color at the ends. Worked up the petals better. Not quite there. The flower on the right is finished (haha).
 |
| Muriel's Pitcher #4 |
Next I'll work on finishing the pitcher and the bottom of the painting which needs some shadowing and not that mess thing that I put there. Then back to the leafs to give some detailing. Close to done done done done (a la Dragnet….).
Ok, well here is the latest iteration of the painting. I'm working all over, except at the bottom. Added more paint to the pitcher and scoped out more of the reflections and shadows. Worked on the middle flower to give it more definition. This consisted of doing, undoing, doing, undoing etc etc (wipe on, wipe off…) until exhaustion. Also lightened the leafs. Unfortunately, the smaller one is looking more like zucchini squash so that's not good.
 |
| Muriel's Pitcher #5 |
But, it is starting to look more like a finished painting. Something to be said for that. It's better than the original painting, I think, and it's better than how it started. That's not always (usually?) the case so we march ever onward.
The painting is hanging in the dining room. It can hang there and reproach me indefinitely. After several days "off," I've waded back in to work on the background and tune up the flowers. Also worked on the bottom of the painting and, just to make me feel good, signed my name. But there is a shadow missing at the bottom of the painting. I'm thinking I'll get a similar vase, light it, and see what the shadow should be. Later cakey...
Ok, so I waited. Amazing how the painting doesn't change while I'm gone! Anyway, spent some time yesterday and today working on the bottom of the painting and the leaves, and the vase, and the flower bud (in other words, on everything but the flowers!). I didn't like the color of the leaves so worked on them. Also wanted to lighten the left side of the painting where the light is theoretically come from. I also "lit" a blue vase to get an idea for what the shadows should look like. So that led me to the bottom of the painting and to do some more on the vase itself. But, I didn't do a lot, and the shadow on the table is pretty tentative, but it's there.
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| Muriel's Pitcher #6 |
Next step would be to work more on the pathetic shadow, although as I look at the photo it's not half bad as it straggles across the table. I also want to get some shadowing down behind the vase on the wall and get rid of one of the diagonal light streaks on the base (the one that's, of course, in the middle...). The streaky dark areas behind the vase could be smoothed out into a shadow idea. So, it's coming along and I'm not unhappy (yet--hah!).
Its occurs to me that an awful lot of time goes into some pretty subtle changes that most folks wouldn't be able to even see in these photos. But, what is life without some struggle????
Back to the painting, and this time, just working on the shadows. I also wanted to pick up the background a notch and I did this by following the contours of the vase as I also wanted to lighten the left side of the painting. Still need to work on the shadow on the table, but it's going in the right direction. Also got the shadow on the wall behind the vase going, so happy with that.
Did a little more work on the shadowing at the bottom of the painting. It's on the wall in the dining room for the next while as i begin a new painting for my brother and sister-in-law's condo in Florida. The shadowing is complete on the table and behind the vase and with exception of some fairly outlandish streaks of paint here and there, which I might wade back in to work on, the painting is for all intents and purposes (hah) complete.
Back to the painting, and this time, just working on the shadows. I also wanted to pick up the background a notch and I did this by following the contours of the vase as I also wanted to lighten the left side of the painting. Still need to work on the shadow on the table, but it's going in the right direction. Also got the shadow on the wall behind the vase going, so happy with that.
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| Muriel's Pitcher #7 |
Did a little more work on the shadowing at the bottom of the painting. It's on the wall in the dining room for the next while as i begin a new painting for my brother and sister-in-law's condo in Florida. The shadowing is complete on the table and behind the vase and with exception of some fairly outlandish streaks of paint here and there, which I might wade back in to work on, the painting is for all intents and purposes (hah) complete.
