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To live and enjoy every day to its fullest, use my gifts to help others, I travel to wherever passion finds me.

What Will She Paint?

So many friends I met here...!

Sunday, May 03, 2009

THE FINALE

My daughter surprised us on Sunday with a Skype call (both parties can see each other on the web cam). She probably was trying to entertain her 2 -year old in their small apartment, because daddy was studying for a national exam for EMT (the assistants of the paramedics) next week, and it had been raining for the past few days.
So, they are almost at the end of this process (of his training), and so am I, with this painting. They say, that it is not important where you came from, but how you'll end.

So you don't have to go back and forth to the last post while you're reading, this is how the painting looked like first.

Wow, thank all of you for your helpfulness, and your suggestions. I really enjoyed all of them! Some may be disappointed that I did not choose a natural background. After two nature paintings (the Forest and the bird that will be posted later), I guess I wanted to try something new.
Maybe to see if I had something else within me.
The day an artist stops experimenting, is when he or she goes backward.



When I was done with the first stage, the butterfly seemed disconnected from the two-toned background. The focus of interest looked like a cutout clip art pasted on a dark piece of paper. That is not what a painting is!
Now it becomes important that I choose thick paper with grit on the surface, like sandpaper. They call the grit "tooth", which will allow me to paint several layers over each other.




With the next step in this process, I lightened the blue part with feathery strokes. To see this technique better, please click on the image. Now you have seen these strokes, you'll understand my comment that one marker of many my oil and pastel paintings is that I do not make the surface look "smooth."
As you can see, I changed the area on the side of the butterfly's head, to create more "space."
Remember from the last post, the automatic color mix that the eye does? The lighter blue comes close to the blue and green used for the body. This makes the latter look brighter and connects the background to the butterfly.

The colors and design of this background leaves the viewer in the dark, so to speak, about where this butterfly was found. All have to do to finish now is to sign my name.

28 comments:

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

I like what you have done with this Jeannette. It really stands out against its surroundings.

Michelle said...

Lovely....go the blue and purple :)

DUTA said...

Superb Finish!

And GOOD LUCK with he exams to your son-in-law!

Gary's third pottery blog said...

OH SO pretty!

Irene said...

Yes, I like the end product better then the first attempt. The butterfly seems more connected. The colors are complementary too and don't clash. Leave it to you to find your own solution in the end. Stubborn Dutch woman! That's just the way I am. I listen to everybody and then do what I think is right. I can't wait to see your next endeavors. Surprise us big time, Jeannette!

Unknown said...

Wow, your butterfly really pops now. Well done!

Carol Murdock said...

It's very pretty Jeanette!You are so talented!
Carol

Jeannette StG said...

Joan, Thank you:) That was my intent.

Jeannette StG said...

Michelle,
Thanks. I'm still building up my collection of pastel colors, LOL

Jeannette StG said...

Duta,
Thanks so much - I will tell him!

Jeannette StG said...

Gary,
Thanks! Orange used to be a kind of a dangerous color to me:)

Jeannette StG said...

Irene,
Haha - I take that as a compliment - people here call me "strong", but that is what they mean LOL

Jeannette StG said...

Jane,
My paintings don't usually pop in this way, but I like it -thanks!

Jeannette StG said...

Carol,
Your'e always so kind, Carol, thank you!

Unknown said...

Very Cool, both in color and in view!
I like it!

Reader Wil said...

That was quite an achievement! and the result is stunning! So you are also using hype! My daughter installed hype on my computer yesterday.
Thanks for your post. Thanks for your kind comment.

Jeannette StG said...

Joey,
thank you, Joey! I'm jazzed my experiment came out well:)

Barry said...

Intriguing to get a tour through the process of creation. When I look at a work of art I seldom stop to consider how it came to be. Now I see the journey is as interesting as the final product.

The Birdlady said...

You have some lovely work. Thanks for visiting Wingsnthings.

Jeannette StG said...

Thank you Wil. I'm happy for your Skype addition.
I don't know if you know, but if you buy a webcam -and your daughter too -so you both need a webcam (here they are about $80-),
you can SEE your daughter when she talks to you
(and anyone else who sits in front of the webcam lens).

You put the lens on top of the screen of your computer, and on the package it says where to plug it in on your computer (if it doesn't, ask the person in the store. They mostly know those things).

It's also nice to keep up with the growth of your grand children, or show things, like things you bought, plants, etc. to the one on the other side of the webcam. It's much nicer than just phone or computer.

Jeannette StG said...

Barry,
Well said! and thank you:) Results of some paintings would take a chapter to write on. For me, the process is just as important as the finale.
Hope you are doing okay? (meaning, bearable)

Jeannette StG said...

The Birdlady,
Thank you! I thought this might interests you, as the painting is on nature. I just go to your blog, because of the neat pics:)

Lynette said...

Jeannette, your butterfly painting is fabulous, so delicate and you really brought this to life! It reminds me of the hummingbird moths I see sometimes that drink the necter of the flowers around here.

Jeannette StG said...

Lynette, thanks so much! Do you realize this butterfly is from the area of Beijing, China?
I have seen hummingbirds, but never hummingbird moths. Only this year seeing them on several blogs, I know that some moths are quite pretty.

antigoni said...

It's an alive butterfly! Awesome painting.

Jeannette StG said...

Antigoni,
Thanks so much, Antigoni!

Shelley said...

Beautiful - the butterfly looks like its going to fly off the canvass right towards me! :)

Jeannette StG said...

I hope for you it doesn't (haha) - it's size is about 9 x 17 inches! but I know what you mean, and thank you!