"Lemons" -- oil on canvas -- 48x36" -- Margie GuyotI always check the weather online up here and snow was predicted for Tuesday. So I took advantage of the sunny weather on Monday and drove up north of Petoskey, to the only art store in northern Michigan that has a few items other than "student grade". I needed two extra-heavy duty stretched canvases measuring 48x36" for a special project. A good friend had requested a pair of "white" paintings to go inside his restaurant.
I don't know if this painting satisfies his idea of "white", but I like it. What surprises me is how fast I was able to paint it. I got home on Monday and set up this still life in the studio. I began trying to draw it in, but didn't get very far with it. That swirly bowl is just the devil! And if you haven't tried drawing wine glasses yet, lemme tell ya -- you can go berserk on those, too!
Tuesday I didn't work on this at all. It was snowy all day and I spent the entire day inside, painting the downstairs of my house. And I've got the paint on my arms and hands to prove it! My motto is: cover all beige! Besides, I wanted it to be sunny when I painted this still life. I had a vision of showing a sunlit white tablecloth, flooded with light. Kind of tough to do on a cloudy day.
So since this is Thursday, I must have painted this whole thing in 2 days! Thought I'd go mad drawing this in. Wiped out, drew, wiped out, drew. Finally I think I got it to the "I can live with this" stage. For me, the drawing-in is always the hardest part. I just have to keep slugging away until I get it.
The really FUN part is once it's drawn in. Then I attack the shadows & darks. Then the medium tones. And then it's practically done. This one just practically painted itself. And the plastic bags are just a HOOT to paint! I could just paint stuff in plastic bags over & over again & enjoy every damn second of it!
My good friend Jerry had brought over some of his excellent techno CDs and I've been listening to them, full-blast for days. Can't get them outta my head now.
Guess what I'm cooking for dinner: turnips! Ah, now what can I make with all those green onions????
I don't know if this painting satisfies his idea of "white", but I like it. What surprises me is how fast I was able to paint it. I got home on Monday and set up this still life in the studio. I began trying to draw it in, but didn't get very far with it. That swirly bowl is just the devil! And if you haven't tried drawing wine glasses yet, lemme tell ya -- you can go berserk on those, too!
Tuesday I didn't work on this at all. It was snowy all day and I spent the entire day inside, painting the downstairs of my house. And I've got the paint on my arms and hands to prove it! My motto is: cover all beige! Besides, I wanted it to be sunny when I painted this still life. I had a vision of showing a sunlit white tablecloth, flooded with light. Kind of tough to do on a cloudy day.
So since this is Thursday, I must have painted this whole thing in 2 days! Thought I'd go mad drawing this in. Wiped out, drew, wiped out, drew. Finally I think I got it to the "I can live with this" stage. For me, the drawing-in is always the hardest part. I just have to keep slugging away until I get it.
The really FUN part is once it's drawn in. Then I attack the shadows & darks. Then the medium tones. And then it's practically done. This one just practically painted itself. And the plastic bags are just a HOOT to paint! I could just paint stuff in plastic bags over & over again & enjoy every damn second of it!
My good friend Jerry had brought over some of his excellent techno CDs and I've been listening to them, full-blast for days. Can't get them outta my head now.
Guess what I'm cooking for dinner: turnips! Ah, now what can I make with all those green onions????
posted by Charlevoix Sax Quartet at 5:33 PM
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