Thursday, April 28, 2011

Painting 60


Still on the Candy kick. This painting came together very quickly for me. I really enjoyed painting the folds of the paper and getting the colors right. The white on the paper is cool with a tinge of gray and the stick is warm. I also added a hint of the background color into the wrapper for a reflective quality. Paying attention to those tiny details is one of the reason I find painting fun. Painting teaches you to look at things in a new way. Our brains love to fill in the blanks and make decisions for our eyes. Training yourself to actually see what is there and not what you expect to be is a difficult journey, especially with warm and cool colors. Color is a beast to master, so I take pride when I purposely use color principles in a painting as I did with the whites. The background puzzled me greatly. I wanted a colorful, fun contrast in keeping with the other candy paintings, and I painted the background a few different shades before I settled on this orange. I don't care for it.  I think it detracts attention away from the subject. The shadow is also an issue. It's too dark and solid and also detracts from the subject as well. My grasp of color theory obviously didn't hold up through the entire painting process, but I never liked Tootsie Pops anyway.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Painting 59


Kay Wyne gave me a roll of lifesavers at the studio. Kay is a former member of Studio Art and Soul and recently found representation with a gallery in Sante Fe. Being in a gallery on Canyon Road in Sante Fe is like winning the lottery for an artist and everyone at the studio was so proud of her and what she has accomplished. I am fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful talent and it really makes me a better artist because of it. The Lifesavers were a great gift since my last 2 paintings were candy. Lifesavers definitely remind me of my childhood and specifically, my childhood during the holidays. Does anyone remember those Lifesaver books they had during Christmas? It wasn't Christmas until you had your selection of Lifesavers in a book shaped box! I loved painting this and I am very pleased with the results, especially with the candy. It's shiny and sticky and I think I captured them perfectly. The foil of the candy roll was a fun challenge and I am pleased with the overall results. I was even more pleased when someone purchased the painting at our Studio's open house. I paint for myself, but I can't help but feel validated when strangers see fit to spend money on what I create. It's very satisfying and definitely motivates me. 

Friday, April 15, 2011

Painting 58


The journey through the candy aisle continues with this not so delicious treat. Licorice is definitely an acquired taste and not something I was fond of as a child. Never remembered eating a Good & Plenty, but they still are iconic for me. I had a few while I was painting this, and they weren't that bad. Licorice seems like an old person's candy and now that I'm getting older, I'm starting to like it as well. I guess it must be true. The background color was a struggle for me. I didn't know what color to paint it and I'm still not sure about it. Kind of makes me dizzy. If you've by chance found this painting during a search on Google, there's a good chance you're a big Good & Plenty fan. If so, this painting is for sale! 

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Painting 57


I love things that trigger those memories of my childhood, and candy was my passion early on. I was a picky eater and very slight of weight, so my mother resorted to feeding me what I demanded and sugar is what I wanted. Honey Buns and coke for breakfast was common. It's a wonder I have any teeth left. Dots are not my favorite, but they are iconic. I have memories of eating them at the movies mostly. To me Dots are movie candy and not something we ever had at home. I'd gobble them down at the start of the movie and then spend the rest of the time picking the goo out of my teeth. My childhood was sweet in so many ways and putting those memories on canvas makes me smile. I enjoyed painting on a large canvas (30x40) and it is almost a billboard sized ad for Dots. Perhaps it's too much of an advertisement than a fine art painting, but I suppose that's the graphic designer part of me shining through. If I had added a bloody tooth or a g-string in the still life, it would have been provocative and museum worthy, but as is, it's just cotton candy fluff. And with my sweet tooth, that's just fine by me.