The Bourbon Series - W.L. Weller

In this painting are the beloved hydrangeas, an old basket that has those wonderful bourbon colors, and a friend's suggestion of her husband's favorite bourbon, W.L. Weller.

I used the ValueViewer app again to work on the photograph to see both values and composition.  Glass is both a challenge and a delight to paint. I felt that I had struggled to find the exact bourbon color that I wanted, so I did a little more pre-mixing of my colors this time. All of these refinements added to the success of this painting.

Please suggest what bourbon should be painted next.  These would make a terrific addition to a bar area or for an astute gentleman on your Christmas list.  I am looking forward to doing a series of them.  Good thing I don't need to drink the bourbon to paint them.  ;)

Oh!  My friend bought this painting for her husband, but I can promise you I will paint it again!

The Bourbon Series - Blanton's

A few of my favorite things.... sunshine streaming though the window, hydrangeas showing off their finest hints of fall color and the color of Bourbon.  Yes, I am not opposed to the taste either!  This one is special, not only for it's smooth flavor, but for the exquisite glass bottle and the horse and jockey posed on the stopper.  It gets even better.  Each of the figures has a stamped letter at the base- one for each letter of the Bourbon's name BLANTON'S.  The horse and jockey are in different positions as they race out of the gate on the B and by the time you get to the S, the jockey is pumping his fist in the air as the finish the race.  Very collectable.  This is the S figure and the only one Benny has... so far!

An artist that I follow often paints Bourbon bottles.  Claudia Hammer's work is wonderful and I even sent her an email about Blanton's.  She of course knew about it and posted her painting of it the day after my email.  You never know where inspiration will come from.  You can see her work at http://claudiahammer.blogspot.com. "Straight Up Blanton's" is her painting. I don't know if there is something between artists and bourbon, but that is a discussion for another day. 

After taking photographs, I used the ValueViewer app to lay out the grid lines to help with my composition.

Using ValueViewer, you can look at color, grayed tones, or Notan - which translates your photograph to simply black or white.  It helps with composition and values.

Next, I drew out my composition and used mostly Prussian Blue to create a value study.

I was quite please with the outcome.  There are still some refinements I want to make, but I think this one works quite nicely with an old frame that I had.

Blanton's   Oil     8x8   $125

Message me or see http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/elaine-ford-5747/artwork

for purchase information.

Hump-frey

Hump-frey    Oil with Palette Knife    12" x 12"

This fella just naturally had to follow after my Wise Men series.  The camels were easy to paint, because the colors were not exact.  I think camel faces are comical, just like giraffe faces.  This pose made me laugh and I thought it would work well.  Square canvases have become a very friendly space for me to paint.  And after our trip to the frame warehouse, I think he looks spiffy in his new frame.  

Alas, he needs a name. I suppose it could be Humphrey, or Hump Day.  But I've also thought about what he might be saying....  Is it Hump Day Yet?  Where's the Star?  Are We There Yet?    Please help and send me a comment for a good name for a good camel.

The Magi

The Magi     Oil with Palette Knife   12"x 24"

This is the third in the series of Wise Men.  I wanted to try a Pthalo green background but I feel that something got lost in the way to the Far East.  Maybe the wise men were just tired.

As always, thank you for taking a look.  Here are some other pictures of earlier works that I have framed.  They really take on a very different 'upscale' look!  I never realized how much different paintings look when you frame them.  After a fun trip with a friend to a frame warehouse, I have plenty of frames for some upcoming events.  Score.

Here is a work in progress.  Good beginning.  Maybe I will go back and add some variation in the sky to my Magi.  Going back to rework something is scary business.  Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.  

 

I Wonder...

I Wonder....   Oil with Palette knife    12x12

I wonder... what did the camels think?  Did they notice the star?  Did the Wise Men know how really far they would have to go, or did they have any idea of what they would find when they got there?  The camel's pose, which was serendipity at its best, made me wonder.

This is the second in my 'Camel Series'.  I have found painting a series of things fun and instructional.  It also simplifies what I am going to paint. At times, that can be problematic. Sometimes, I like my first one the best.  Sometimes not. All is joy when I'm painting.

Posing Magnolia

'Posing Magnolia'

8x10 Oil   Palette Knife

One of my consistent calls of the summer is to paint a magnolia blossom.  This happens every time I see one.  I love to bring a bloom or two in the house.  They don't last very long, but the are so elegant and smell ever so heavenly!

They are definitely a challenge to paint!  This was my second experiment with a limited palette I had read about.  Imagine just painting with Ivory Black, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Yellow and Flake White. Essentially they are the three primaries. Ivory Black is blue, orange is my red and yellow is yellow! It is a challenge to pull out the right colors, but it does make for a very harmonious painting.  I hope you enjoy!

You can see and purchase my work at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/elaine-ford-5747/artwork

Up and Running Again

I find it quite hard to start blogging again after such a long absence.  It's not that I haven't painted; it is where do I begin?  

So, I decided to start with something that I have finished recently and had a lot of fun painting.  The inspiration is from a Christmas card that I have saved for years because I knew that I wanted to paint it someday.  I needed a rectangle canvas, but all I had was this 12 x 24.  That is pretty daunting, but gave me lots of room to do all of this with a palette knife.  It has plenty of scritches and scratches, including in the background, but I was not compelled to 'clean it up' like I usually do. 

 I do wonder where these gentlemen will end up.  Will this piece sell?  Will it be a Christmas present for a dear friend who just added some turquoise to her living room?  Will it be a gift to one of my friends in my Bunco group? I just hope it encourages the viewer to remember to be wise and seek the one who is our one and only Savior.