JAPANESE VASE COMPLETED

I've been working on this acrylic painting on and off over the last week and have this afternoon put the final touches. The flowers are from a painting I created a couple of years ago when a painting friend bought me these rather unusual coloured bronzy orange flowers. I thought the colours went well with the Japanese kimonos and linked with the orange background of the other vase painting.

So here it is -
Click to enlarge

I would usually use gold leaf for the handles but had run out and my local gallery and framers suggested I use Rub and Buff antique gold in a tube used for framing and antiquing. It works a treat and less expensive.

Im not sure how much the painting changed from its original posting over a week ago but I know I made more of the window and trees outside than I did on the first vase painting which had orange brick and tiles. I think the diagonal works really well and I enjoyed adding the soft shadows on the window sill.

So they are ready to take to Ely next week.

SECOND VASE FOR OLD PALACE ELY

This vase has a Japanese image and flowers all over and is a delight to try to create. It was photo'd on the windowsill with a corner window behind. With the first vase I created a burnt orange background to pick up the fact that as you looked out the window you only saw red brick or tiles. This time there is a blurr of foliage and sky so its a reverse in colours to the first vase I created for the Sue Ryder Exhibition.

I only drew it up Monday and could not wait to get down to the colour and detail. I have photo'd some of today's stages for you. As before, not sure how it will take me.

1 getting the background worked in with the flower shapes
2 close up of the figures I added on top of a layer of thick primer

Then before finishing for the day, I brushed in some lively lilies in the same colour I had used for the Japanese ladies' gowns.

Looks lop sided - hope its the photography and not my artwork!!!! Not always happy using photos but I could never have sat on the staircase in the Palace to paint them!!. .. but my references are not that clear so taking images from various angled photos which in some cases look bronzy and others a pearl like background. Wish me luck??

COMPLETED BLUE VASE - OLD PALACE

Dont think you'll recognise this acrylic painting from the first two posts. It seems the flowers have taken over!! I decided to use a technique I discovered some years back when I was creating the magic garden series as I felt the delicate flowers originally planned didnt work for me. So, as you can see, they are a lot bolder and using all the colours of my painting palette.

As I cant seem to get this above image enlarged, Ive edited the post and added the following two close ups:

well worth enlarging (which they do) to see how I create the flowers

So its changed radically and I think its become really 'me'. I always let the painting develop as it wants, so to speak.Would appreciate knowing your views. Probably that the vase is not now the centre of focus. .. but I dont mind that.

STAGE TWO OLD PALACE VASE

I worked on the acrylic vase painting yesterday afternoon. Enjoyed using thin glazes on the vase to bring out the tonal detail on the china by mixing the main colours ie the Amsterdam Naphthol red light and Finity Ultramarine and Quin violet. Then added the delightful bluey purples to the flowers and the birds on the vase. The blue round the neck is too strong at the moment but long way to go yet - keep layering Joannie. Little hints of yellow you can just see are the base for what will be gold leaf.

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Before finishing that session I added the blues to the first layer of white gesso flowers. Not sure if I will add green leaves - dont really want to add a new colour to my palette.. they might have to end up various tones of blue mixes.

VASES AT OLD PALACE ELY - first layer

Having finished the building paintings both in acrylic and watercolour for the fundraising event for Sue Ryder, my next painting from the day I spent at the Old Palace has begun - of course from photos - some of mine and some the fundraising manager kindly sent me. The vases are on window sills going up the staircase to the long gallery where the exhibition is going to be held in November.

I have used block canvases size 12 x 24 inches to get the shape for the tall vases and here is the first layer of the vase which is actually white and blue with gold touches. The flowers were silk but I hope to give a 'real' effect in the end. I decided to use some of the strong warm colour from the building paintings to tie my entries together and I felt the orangy colour background would bring out the blues in the vase. Will probably do the reverse in the orangy brown other vase when I get round to it to create a pair.

I drew the vase shape with a blue watercolour pencil and then filled in the shape with a painting knife and thick gesso white paint to get it to stand out from the background. Before it dried I cut into it with the bird, flower and leaf shapes with a masking tool. I then started to create the feeling of the window frame.

Not sure where it will go from here but Im looking forward to my next session of fun.

THE OLD PALACE WATERCOLOUR

If you go back to beginning of the month you will see I posted my acrylic painting of The Old Palace Ely. I had plans to do a further version for the November exhibition and sketched the building and some of the area to the right but this time as if it was viewed through the leaves of the 17th Century Plane tree in the garden. In fact that is how I sat all day in the cool shade while painting the acrylic work.
Pen sketch of building
At home I created the sketch in pen and only recently put colour to the page. Heres the pen sketch of the building section slightly different view than the acrylic - most of the right with the leaves, wall and quiet tones for the cathedral building behind were hardly sketched out but created with the brush and colour initially so nothing really to show you at this stage.
The finished piece.
I used the Daniel Smith paints Anita kindly gave me squeezed into a plastic lidded palette painted on new watercolour paper called Clairefontaine, which you can paint on either side with different texture. I bought it from SAA (Society of All Artists in Nottingham). The painting measures 16 x 12 inches and is in a double 4 inch mount with plain wood frame.
Not sure the large tree on the right works well behind the hanging leaves - but its the best I can remember and find out from a photo taken.

My third piece for the exhibition will be of three pots I fell in love with on the stairwell going up to the Long Gallery where the exhibition will hang. Not sure what medium yet - but will be working from photos Im afraid.

THE OLD PALACE ELY

Anita was invited by the Sue Ryder Organisation to take part in a special painting day at THE OLD PALACE ELY and arranged for me to go with her. If you want to know more take a look at Anita's blog via the link on the right.
This was my choice on such a beautiful day to work in the garden keeping cool under the 17th century London plane tree. As you can see from the contrasts in the photo, there was a problem looking out onto the brightly lit building and towering cathedral backdrop.
This was the first layer of planning the composition and dealing with the dreaded perspective!! I worked on canvas in acrylics. Afraid my photography is a bit lopsided.... too big to scan.
Apart from occasional tea breaks supplied by the lovely Hayley of the Sue Ryder Organisation and a tour of the Palace plus numerous chats with Anita working just a few yards from me - it took most of the day to get to the next stage before packing up and heading off to a well deserved lovely meal at the local Italian restaurant. Took hundreds of photos both in and outside. This final image is the completed painting which I worked on at home this afternoon for an hour or so finishing off the detail and tidying up some of the perspective of the windows and roof.