Sacred Landscapes: Project 1

This is project 1 from the Sacred Landscape class with Ivy Newport (see sidebar for link), and is supposed to be an abstraction of a figure in a landscape, using a magazine image for the figure. It is mixed media using various materials and techniques to create the painting, which is on an 8" x 8" wooden cradled panel, with primary colors. I used Paynes Grey, Raw Umber, and Burnt Sienna, plus white gesso, which may, or may not, have been a good idea. It did make the background kind of dark and mysterious looking though, I think.

Beginning layers on gessoed panel...

More layers, and I wrote LOVE in the sky for some reason...

Then I decided to "lay it on thick" with a palette knife for the next layers...

I decided the background looked too choppy, so I added more layers to even it out.The final layer is a thick coat of gel medium, which I got a little too thick in places, but I think it gives it kind of a waxy dreamy look. I have a tendency to get everything too close in value on every painting. Maybe that's how I see the world? A couple of things I'm still not happy about, but I can live with them. On the whole, I am pretty pleased with how the painting turned out, the process, and what I learned with her.

The writing says, "She couldn't decide whether to stay or leave everything behind."

Close up of her face. She looks a little Vampirish to me in the earthy colors, but that's ok!

Project two is a grouping of people, which I already have in progress. It's proving to be as much fun as project one was.

Do something every day that makes your soul sing! :)