'Rosefield'
Acrylic on 16" x 20" x 3/4" canvas, $200.00
To purchase, Email: elizabethchapman@artlover.com
or here.
Inspiration.....
what is it? For me, it is experiencing something in such a way that it leaves such a strong impression that it compels me to give it an expression. It is not necessarily a realistic reproduction but perhaps more to capture the essence or to translate an experience into a unique work that speaks a visual language. I wrote about this somewhat in a previous post about a painting titled "Merge", read more here.
The painting did not in the end represent the scene that I had seen, but the initial inspiration did lead to a beautful painting. For me it is important to not get wrapped up in painting it just as seen, but more of letting go and going with the flow of the painting.
I have set out to illustrate this concept through this post. As you scroll down I will explain each step of the work that evolved from the initial "Inspiration"
Step one: The initial inspiration I was visiting my daughter's studio loft this past week when this scarf, just stood out. I thought it was sooo beautiful and instantly invisioned a painting. I mentioned it to Elsie, who said " Oh, you can have it Mom, it was something I designed and have not known what to do with it." So, there it was stuck in my mind, and the wheels began turning as to the approach I would take for a painting.
ugly?! uh....i agree.
Step Three: Swirls Next, I decided that I wanted to add a feeling of the swirls and surface texture. Using some modeling paste and palette knife, the outlines of roses were added. The white value of the paste helped to begin imagining and seeing the roses that would be further enhanced. I knew the next thing that I would want to do was to begin blocking out the background with various tones of yellow, leaving blacks and reds that I wanted to keep showing through. But, first I would have to let the paste dry. I thought a lot about the next step before proceeding....
To help alleviate my fears I reassured myself that it did not have to look like the scarf. That it may end up having a color palette with a likeness, but being totally different than what I was attempting. And that would be o.k as this is the letting go.
Step Four: Lights over darks. It was at the last stage that I began adding variations in reds, pinks for the roses, greens for the leaves and black for the gesturally drawn design, working with both a palette knife and brushes.
Sorry, I did not get this last stage photographed as I got wrapped up in the process and the painting progressed rather quickly, to the final painting seen here on the easel with the scarf.
Website
Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist
