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two dog commission

Posted on by Wess Foreman

This week I had five commissioned paintings to work on for five different people---most of them intended as Christmas presents so I was never really swamped---but it was enough on my plate to get me motivated to finish a few of these post-haste. If nothing else it would clear the way for new commissions between now and the end of the year.

The painting below was one of the five, and it was the largest of them at 24x18". The reference photo dictated, in some way, the style of the painting as it was low on detail and awash in sunlight. The first decision I had to make was whether to change things up a bit---I didn't mind the overall design but the sunlit sofa could be darkened or I could have altered its color (this would have had a great effect on the painting and, though it could have improved things, I decided to start by replicating the feel of the photo).

Per usual, I went right in with paint, roughing in the positions of the two dogs and the lines of the sofa. The painting came together quickly and I found this somewhat loose, abstract style to be a good fit for the subject matter. The German shepherd in the foreground worked for me right away--in fact most of its body is made up of paint from my first pass on the painting. The proportionally small beagle in the background gave me a little trouble but a shortening of its size and a reshaping of its head made the thing work in the end. The only other major thing that needed changing was defining the shape of the sofa more clearly and creating a darker boundary for the top and bottom of the painting, in the form of the gray shadowy areas and the line along the top---this just helped to hem in the piece so that the two reclining dogs weren't just floating untethered in a sea of white. I also added a touch of color (red-orange and blue-green) in the edges as well, repeating the colors of the dogs and unifying the otherwise monochromatic painting.

In my opinion, the finished piece turned out magnificently, and I am pleased to report that the client loves the painting!

24x18" commission

NOLA City Park Bridge

Posted on by Wess Foreman

With this large painting I was going for lots of texture [if that's not clear from seeing the image itself]. I achieved this effect with layers of paint applied with brush, with textured roller, with pallet knife, and with splashes and drips of paint. I gave a little relief to this texture onslaught with a wash of white in the center above and below the bridge---this little change helps to push this area to the background and helps the bridge stand on it's own in the foreground.

NOLA City Park Bridge, 44.5x47"

fairy dust

Posted on by Wess Foreman

This one started as two head-and-shoulders portraits---didn't like it so I scrapped the one on the right and put in a simple background of trees; then the fairies took over and the painting took on a life of its own. Now I've got this high-fantasy painting with a hint of anime styling to the large-eyed face and a painting that doesn't fit with the rest of my work, in terms of subject matter.

Anyway, if you know anyone who would love this painting, let them know I've got it for sale---and tell them to ask for a better price, you never know with artists and it doesn't hurt to ask . . . .

Fairy Dust, 24x30", $300

Here's a detail of the face. Maybe I should do a series of small paintings of faces---that would be fun---look for it soon! That is all.

dapper man

Posted on by Wess Foreman

Wanted another figure painting to pair with the Portrait of Mrs. White painting. I was initially going to make the entire coat out of newspaper but after applying the left side, I liked it better this way. He is supposed to be a Victorian-era gentleman but I think this could be from any era up to current times. Perhaps I should have added the dead-give-away oversize mustachio . . .

Dapper Man, 24x18", $300

coffee and beignets #6

Posted on by Wess Foreman

I've done a number of coffee paintings and a number of them with beignets, and I don't know exactly how many. Anyway, I'm calling this one #6, though maybe I should give it a more memorable name. "Breakfast at the Cafe" or "Intellectual Stimulus" or "A Cup of Joe and a Plate of Pastries". I dunno.

Coffee & Beignets #6, 16x16", $250

Coffee & Beignets #6, 16x16", $250