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mustard

Posted on by Wess Foreman

I don't know. I was in a certain mood at the time and I simply needed to show the entire word: "mustard." Besides, if I had painted it as I saw it, I would have to rename the painting, "musta," wouldn't I?

At any rate, though I couldn't bring myself to share the painting for several months, I also couldn't bring myself to paint over it. So it remains. Mustard.

Mustard, 14x11"

bulldog painting process

Posted on by Wess Foreman

This is a commission I painted a few months ago. I took photos along the way and thought I'd share a bit of my painting process for you here.

First off, the reference photo. Here's the photo I was working with. Ideally, the photo should encapsulate the basic layout of the painting itself. Photography after all is an artistic pursuit in its own right. This photo was taken in landscape but I want a portrait-oriented canvas---not so bad as this was the only major change I needed to make.

I usually don't make a drawing before starting in with the paint. Here my main goal is to cover the canvas with paint---I am trying to capture the placement of the subject but only roughly [and knowing I will be changing and perfecting anything I paint at this stage].

bulldog_ref.jpg
bulldog1.jpg
bulldog2.jpg

Once the shapes are roughed out and the canvas is covered with paint, I start the process of reshaping the form into something more akin to the photo. The client wanted a nondescript background with vibrant reds and yellows, so I laid it on thick, adding dramatic lighting by suggesting shadows on the ground [notice, there are actually little if any indications of a light source on the dog's body itself---if I wanted a more realistic representation, I would definitely address this issue perhaps by retaking reference photos with a light source coming from the left].

I usually do not like to leave dead spots in my paintings---places where there is a single unvaried color---notice how the white of the chest and the tan of the back are both mottled with gray, indicating fur and making those areas more interesting. And of course, the background is a mishmash of undulating color.

I am pleased with the final painting, though it took a bit of time toward the final stages getting the details right. I focus most of my attention in the later stages on the face, since this is the focal point of the painting and the focal point is where most of the details should reside. Other important parts of the painting---the carefully attenuated feet and the dramatic shadows beneath those feet---make the entire surface of the painting important to the viewer. The eye moves from the focal point to the interesting background, to the feet and shadows, then return to the features of the face.

bulldog3.jpg
bulldog4.jpg
bulldog5.jpg
Bulldog Commission, 30x24"

creole tomato

Posted on by Wess Foreman

Finished painting, photographing, and posting this one with 36 minutes left in the day---close one (I did say I'd try and post something every day, didn't I). We spent the day at the zoo today, the wife, the kid and I. We had a blast.

Creole Tomato, 16x20", $250

White Lillies #1

Posted on by Wess Foreman

White Lillies #1 - 30x40" $600

Started and finished this painting in one sitting . . . er, standing. Inspiration came from a neighbor's yellow day lillies - they seemed so happy, like they were all giddy and chatting freely amongst themselves [perhaps it was the fact that Spring is in the air, perhaps they especially enjoyed and still celebrated May Day, who knows]. Painting from memory, I began by painting the flowers quickly in white on a green background. The reason for this is that yellow shines much brighter if painted over a white foundation (yellow is just not as opaque as other colors). After that, I painted the flowers yellow, but I had already gotten used to the idea of white flowers, so I painted them white once more (boring story, I know). I added some charcoal, smeared and smudged it here and there, added other colors for interest, and that's it. I called it good enough. The end.

Happy May Day.

May Day-ish update

Posted on by Wess Foreman

The weather has been tremendous this past few weeks. I have been out there much of the time, experimenting with paint, keeping my two-year-old out of trouble, and painting some more. It's been a strange week in regards to my painting - I've been going at it full-tilt and most of it has been totally different than anything I've painted before. So now I'm left surveying all that I've been busy at, wondering: is this good? do I like this? will other people like this? I suppose the answer is yes, but only time will tell.

The next NorthShore Art Market will be Saturday, May 9th - starts at 10am, goes until 4:30pm. I will be there with a booth full of new paintings. And like last time, I will be painting throughout the day. Should be fun. This is the last of the Spring markets - starting up again in September. More details at northshoreartmarket.com.

Slant of Sunlight

Posted on by Wess Foreman

As an artist, I sometimes hit upon an idea that catches in the brain. It turns into something of a compulsion: to capture that idea, to expand upon it, and to alter it [finding the edges, the breaking points]. A series of paintings along a central theme. Sometimes obvious, sometimes hard to put into words. This happened a couple years ago when I explored my civilization series - primitive landscapes painted in primary colors with brush and pallete knife. I stayed with that theme for about a year before moving on to other ideas.

I had one such idea catch hold yesterday, completing painting after painting, as if possessed of some artistic apparition. Hardly a theme as these seven paintings basically depicted the same scene with the same basic design elements - an unmowed corner of the field behind my house - but all created from that same compulsion in my artist-brain. I did not stop to judge the paintings too harshly - sure, as an artist this is all I do, judging the various aspects of design, judging the likeness of the painting, judging whether the painting is working or not - but I simply [ultimately] judged whether I liked them or not . . . a simple litmus test . . . yes/no, true/false, good/bad. Passing that test, I moved on to the next painting. And so on.

I am a fairly quick painter on the whole - I don't bother with the details if none are called for [I've perhaps left a few paintings a little short of their potential as a result, in fact] - but seven paintings in one day?! Well, they are simple paintings, and they are basically the same painting - flowers at the edge of a field set against the dark beginnings of a tree line, painted with a certain level of whimsy in their positioning and their bright colors - really, the same painting. This makes it impossible to give them unique names, so I present "Slant of Sunlight" numbers 1 through 5 [the other two are similar, of course] . . .

Slant of Sunlight #1, 24x36", framed - $500 (click for larger version)

Slant of Sunlight #2, 18x24", framed - $350

below:

...#2 & #3 - 11x14", framed - $200

...#4, 9.5x14.5", framed - $200

horse and carriage - painting process

Posted on by Wess Foreman

Just another painting process wherein I rough sketch the scene, fill it up with color, adjust the shapes and colors and lines, and finally start adding details and finishing the piece. Enjoy.


Horse & Carriage, 12x12" $100

After finishing this one, I realize I must be ready for Christmas...

Ave. F - Bogalusa | painting process

Posted on by Wess Foreman

Here's another painting process. Just a note: I failed to correct the white balance of these photos - they are, in reality, less yellow-brown in color - the photo of the finished piece is pretty close to correct. Not the most dynamic of subject matters, and this is one case where I like the photo still a little better than the finished painting. Still there are aspects of it I love - I'll point them out later. Here's the initial sketch:

...and I think that's one of the main reasons I like the photo better than the painting - notice that I cropped the photo severely to better match my canvas. I thought this would emphasize the center of interest better (the red building and its leaning metal pole), but in reality it lessened its impact. (Hindsight is 20/20)

And then it's just a matter of paint-by-numbers. Filling it all in with paint.

et cetera...

et cetera...

And adding in the darkest darks and lightest lights.

And starting to fiddle with things - adding the trees.

And then it's just more detail work, until the final piece:

Ave. F - Bogalusa - 11x14" - $75

The details I love about it are the telephone pole in the background - I left the initial china marker sketch and just painted around it. That gave it a nice effect, I think. Also the building just below the telephone pole - I like the way it turned out . . . almost a watercolor look to it. I also enjoy the sidewalk/curb running along the bottom - the waviness of the hand-drawn lines give it a certain charm i think. The colors are not quite as contrasty as in this photo, by the way, and be sure to click the photo for a closer look - otherwise those details cannot be appreciated.

I'm pretty sure I will be returning to this photo in the future - a wider-aspect canvas and a more muted color palette would work wonders, I'm sure. Any thoughts?

Painting Process Roundup

Posted on by Wess Foreman

I've done several posts in the past on the painting process - my painting process, that is - and I thought I'd dig those out and put them into the spotlight for anyone interested. So, here are four links - enjoy!