Studio Scenes: "The Message" (paint test 1)


In the studio this week, I began testing and reviewing the new soft-bodied acrylic paints for Chroma (see post here).


I decided to paint my well-received drawing called "Bird in Hand".  I started with a black-gessoed canvas and sketched the woman using white watercolor pencil. 


I worked with my familiar palette of yellow ochre, black, burnt sienna, and white.
I usually prefer medium or thicker textures because of their opacity, so I had to adapt my painting technique to accommodate the thin, almost watery consistency.  The paint readily blends, however, and dries to a lovely matte-ness.



I painted the woman and background, adding layer upon layer to create the soft, earthy texture and rich color. Because of the thinness of the paint consistency, I had to add many layers to achieve my usual painting style.


More and more details....



I also switched the position of the hand...


...modeling after my own hand.


Finally I added an arched window in the background to give the illusion of dimension and provide another dynamic to the story.


I included constellations in honor of my fascination with the stars...Cassiopeia, the Queen of Ethiopia, with hints of Camelopardalis and Andromeda.


I call this painting "The Message," the great mystery being whether the woman is telling the bird the message, or is the bird telling the woman the message?  Perhaps their message is written in the stars? And what is the message being shared?



Be sure to enjoy the glorious night sky this summer and see what messages you receive...our night skies here in the mountains of Northern California are some of the darkest, and the wonder present each night is humbling and inspiring...

Thanks for visiting the studio!

...carrie elizabeth...

Popular Posts