My newest painting has taken quite a transformation from how it began. Sometimes, I start more than one painting when I am laying down color on canvas. This can help me hone in what I’m going to paint. In this case, my initial idea of branches as the focal point got nixed. I just felt more like it was supposed to be a falling leaves painting. These could’ve actually been two different paintings. But, sometimes that’s the process. Instead of grabbing another canvas I just held my breath and jumped in head first.
The point where I pretty much painted over everything, I felt the painting was getting too precious or even trite. I had to shake it up somehow, and I sure did. I started layering on the colors… I thought I had messed it up at first, because the colors were just so saturated and dark. I stopped painting to try to find a solution to bring this painting back from its almost certain demise. I’m really glad I worked through the problem of a too dark painting, because in the end, I love the result. It’s challenges like this and learning from my mistakes that make me a better painter.
I came up with the name of this painting at the very last which is not common for me, but when I thought of it, it immediately stuck. It’s pretty dramatic, just like the painting! Check out my process and work in progress shots I took as I went along this painting journey.
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- I sometimes start more than one painting when putting down the first colors
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- Focusing on this pink and purplely painting
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- I felt like the leaves needed a tree, so I started adding branches
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- Finer details of branches added here
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- Not sure what I’ve done here or why I took the photo. My painting time gets interrupted a lot.
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- Here you can clearly see I’ve added small leaves with metallic paint
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- I wasn’t liking where it was going, so I made drastic changes. Oops, too dark
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- Lightening up my mess. Sometimes a painting gets uglier before it gets better.
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- Oompphhing it up to really indicate sunlight hitting leaves and making them glow
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- Fine tuning. I must’ve been in the zone, because I didn’t take any in between photos
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- Just final tweaking, I’m glad I added a few select branches back in. Now all it needs is my signature and a new home! How about yours?
‘Bittersweet Surrender’ will be in my shop soon! It will also be heading to Christmas in New Harmony in just two weeks (if it’s not sold before then). It’s an 8×10 on canvas. I will also have prints and notecards of it.
“Bittersweet Surrender” 8×10 acrylic on canvas
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So interesting to see the painting process!
Thanks Kirsten, and I’m so glad to have you pop by my blog.