Friday, July 06, 2007

Peach Plus


Trust me! This is a work in progress.

Been working on my second oil painting with many interruptions due to entertaining, exercising, preserving, procrastinating. Since, so many loyal friends have been checking my blog, I feel I should post something. This is detail of the early stages of a corner of a larger still life.

I've just discovered a major drawback of working on stretched canvas. I would like to crop this picture (you'll realise why when you see the whole thing, if I don't trash it first). With a watercolour it is easy. Any thoughts from experienced oil painters?

18 comments:

Lin said...

I like it very much!!!! The peaches look so juicy and the blue detail is grand!!! Keep going, Robyn -- I'll bet it's going to turn out beautifully!

mARTa said...

so nice to see you back! I know what you mean, I've been busy with summer and little time for art.
I like the peaches...always nice to see a good use of compliments. Sorry can't help out with oil painting suggestions...but yeah, cropping isn't difficulty with watercolor!

Anonymous said...

But you can restretch it! It isn't even hard, other than that it will be rather tiny and you will be working in miniature.

If the pretty pot weren't there, I'd say add a bottle of grappa in the space, but I think you can probably live with the space. What you don't say....?

Joan said...

Robyn, I'm glad to see a new posting from you. I was starting to worry and was going to e-mail you if there was nothing new here today. This is coming along nicely. I like the blue design and the peaches look mighty juicy. I can't help about what to do to crop a canvas, sorry.

Stacy said...

Your plate of peaches is looking so nice! I'm glad someone gave you information about "cropping" an oil painting. The ease of cropping is something I take for granted always working on paper!

Laureline said...

The peach does look juicy! Remember this---no one painting is all that important. If you don't like this, that's OK. You learned something from it. Go on to the next one. And the next. And the next. They get better. You get happier. That's how it goes.

juj said...

I too am happy to see you back, and I do love this part of a painting you've shown us. Just restretch it if you only like this part - I used to do it all the time. Probably why I quit working in oil - restretching isn't hard, but if you do it alot you begin to think perhaps you should start making better decisions before you commit to the oil.

Jana Bouc said...

This is a wonderful painting already as is. Your values are great. It's impressive what you're doing with the blue patterns. Do you draw on the canvas first or do it with a brush?

I've had the same thought about canvas vs. paper, as I experiment along with you in oils. I think Juj is right that you can just cut off the part you don't like and restretch the good part. I've been experimenting with working on RayMar panels (masonite with canvas glued to it and gessoed). I like them a lot. I wonder if one could just saw off the offending part if a painting wasn't working. Of course you could also paint white over the problem area and then repaint it.

Robyn Sinclair said...

Jana - Thanks, I think, considering the dimensions of this painting your solution of cutting and gluing the canvas to a small board will be my best option. I'll press on with it though first and repaint the problem area.

juj - Thank you Judi :) You hit the nail on the head! I should have got the composition right in the first place (and I knew it wasn't).

Laura - I know you are right, I need to learn to cut my losses and to stop being so intimidated by oil paints.

Robyn Sinclair said...

Lin - Thank you. Your enthusiasm spurs me on :)

Marta - TY.

Judith - Grappa? Now what would I be doing with abottle of grappa? ;)

Joan - Thank you for missing me.

Stacy - Hi :) I've got a long way to go with still life. Can you believe I ate that peach as soon as I'd painted it in! I think it's my mother's influence: 'Waste not, want not'.

Robyn Sinclair said...

Jana - I was dreading all that fine blue detail, but I actually had fun with it when I decided just to wing it with a tiny brush.

Kerstin Klein said...

the peaches look delicious and the the delicate blue design is great. makes me very curious to see the whole painting.

Kerstin Klein said...

I´m not tagging you. But in case you want to be tagged by me, please let me know. I´ll draw a sketch for every person (not more than 8) who sends me a link to his 8 fantastic facts.
more information here.

Making A Mark said...

Hurrah - Robyn is posting again! It's looking OK to me - and you've now got me wondering what's in store...

You've had some excellent advice - I hope the problem resolves itself and if not move on to the next one.

Robyn Sinclair said...

Katherine - Don't get too excited! This is only oil painting number 2.

Robyn Sinclair said...

Kerstin - I would LOVE one of your sketches but I was tagged a while ago and if I give away anymore secrets I'll get a reputation!

Kerstin Klein said...

lol... ok... so maybe one day we can exchange portraits for the portrait party?

Karen Cole said...

This sneak peek of your painting looks beautiful.

The thing about painting with oils though, is that you can always paint over it. Let it dry, gesso over it and you can begin again.

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