Another Scratcher Progression...

Original painting sanded, scraped and scratched

New painting "Red on Monday"
5 x 7" oil on Gessobord
SOLD

On this reworking I took one of my early scratcher paintings that was pretty colorless.  I liked the texture, but I wanted to experiment more with the color and brushstrokes. Learning from Sunday's post about less is more I kept alot of the scratching in the apples.  Decided also to lighten the background instead of going dark.  Although I've added lots of cool colors to the background, the warmth of the old painting shows through (in real life).

I've learned a ton from reworking paintings.  I highly recommend it...don't just fiddle with it, scrape it, scratch it, sand it and do something unexpected.

Progression of a Scratcher and Some Lessons





 

Step One
I painted a 5 x 7 board a couple of days ago.  On Saturday I scratched it
with an embossing stylus and sanded the surface with a sanding block.
Then I sketched my apples with burnt umber.
My next experiment will be to stop here with the background
and just paint the main subjects.  I think this would be a more
successful painting if I had stopped here.

Step 2
I began to add some colors to the background.  The addition of the colors
(especially the pink) makes it now difficult to photograph and it comes out blue!
 I am just dry brushing on some color.  Again this would have made
a more successful painting I think if I had remembered less is more. I also
think painting green apples would have been better.

5 x 7 Oil on Gessobord "Combo"
Painting progression shown below..this is the finished painting
No, it's not the finished painting, see blog post on 12/8/12

I thought those of you who have wondered how these "scratching" paintings start might be interested to see how "Combo" started.  I'm still experimenting and they all don't start this way.  Sometimes I take an old painting that is tired and not one of my best, sand it with a sanding block and then paint and scratch into the wet paint.  Sometimes I paint directly on to a white Gessobord and then scratch into the wet paint.

 It's not an entirely successful painting and I will be trying it again with some of the lessons I learned along the way. Each step has some qualities about it that I like, but again...less is more. 

 

Abend Holiday Miniatures Show

So happy to announce nine of my oil paintings will be part of the Abend Holiday Miniatures Show. 

Crazy Peach

"Crazy Peach"
5 x 5 oil on Gessobord
SOLD

Crazy Peach started out as JunieB's painting (my studio mate).  She didn't like it and thought it would be fun to see what I could do with it.  The original had a pretty powerful blue green background, so lots of neutrals were added to tone it down, repainted the peach and then added some select scratching to the wet paint.  It was a fun project!  Thanks, JunieB!

Thankfully, I brought my oil painting supplies home on Wednesday.  I thought I might paint on Thanksgiving which I didn't.  But we are currently "homebound" as our garage door spring broke on Wednesday night and we haven't been able to get the cars out of the garage.  The repair is covered under our home warranty program but their service provider can't come until tomorrow afternoon.  We will have cabin fever by then!  At least I was able to paint.

I had never heard of a broken spring on a garage door until yesterday.  I woke up yesterday morning to a huge noise which I thought for sure was the furnace exploding, then I thought it was an earthquake....but it was all the built up torque and tension of the spring breaking.  If you have ever tried to dead-lift a garage door with a broken spring you will understand why we can't get out until tomorrow....hopefully.

Pear-ish

"Pear-ish"
5 x 5 Oil on Gessobord
Click Here to Purchase Painting
 

Spent today reworking another painting, to scratch the surface, experiment with smaller brushstrokes and neutral colors.  Here is the original painting which just called out tome to experiment.  Fun day!

Original Painting

The Apple (that would not die)

"The Apple (that would not die)"
5 x 5 Oil on Gessobord
SOLD

There's always the question of "what am I going to paint today?" 

My paintings are lined up along the wall in the studio, and this painting was calling to me.  It was one of my early scratching projects and while I learned alot about the technique I have been exploring, the painting was just not finished.  So.....approaching it for a third application of paint and texture..this is the result.  And I can say I'm finally finished...

Sometimes a painting looks done until about three weeks later....and then suddenly it's not done.

Tomato on Glass Plate

"Tomato on Glass Plate"
5 x 5" Oil on Gessobord
Scratching the Surface Series
On Exhibiton at Abend Gallery
SOLD
 

I had so much to do at home, but decided I really wanted to paint.  Took me forever to decide on "what" to paint, but I think this turned out well.

JunieB and I hadn't been to lunch in forever, so we went to the little empanada restaurant a few blocks away and had a great lunch.

I had tried to get an appointment for a pedicure at Aveda first thing this morning, but they were booked until next week???  I noticed a new nails place right next door to the restaurant with a "Walk-ins Welcome" sign.  Great pedicure for much less than Aveda charges.  Serendipity!

Fancy Pear

"Fancy Pear"
6 x 6" Oil on Gessobord
From Scratching the Surface Series
Click Here to Purchase Painting

 

A lovelyl day in the studio, that is after I got settled in.  All thumbs and frustrated when I got there...too many things going on. 

But that's usually how it goes, once I actually put my brush on the board I start to releax and the old blood pressure drops.  Such great therapy!

Strawberries and Cream

"Strawberries and Cream"
6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord
Scratching the Surface Series
SOLD

Well, I've reworked all the older paintings I can, so this is a brand new painting.  I bought the creamer last spring on a trip to the antique mall.  It just had such possibilities - but I had been a little leery of painting it until my scratching series started.  It was the perfect companion to the strawberries and lent itself easily to the scratching.

Pear and Crock

6 x 6" Oil on Gessobord
"Pear and Crock" part of Scratching the Surface series
SOLD

This one was fun for me to paint.  It's again, a reworking of an old painting...one of my first.  Attacked the original with a craft knife and sanding block, then painted over it and used an embossing styllus to scratch through the wet paint, blend colors, and soften edges.

Two New Pear Scratchings

"Pear"
5 x 5" Oil on Gessobord
Another in the Scratching the Surface Series
SOLD

"Pear and Purple Ribbon"
6 x 6" Oil on Gessobord
On Exhibit at Abend Gallery

Yippee...the election is over and hopefully we can get back to the things we do without horrible ads, constant phone calls and strangers ringing our doorbells during dinner.  I choose to use ALL this extra time and peaceful atmosphere to paint...and paint....and paint.