Oil Sketches for Dahlia Commission #1

Oil Sketch with Dahlias in Vase,  30 x 24", Oil on Canvas,  by Tracy Feldman

 As I mentioned yesterday, I created two oil sketches as part of the process of producing my last commission.

The works were based on images and  ideas I had discussed with my client.  When they were done to  a medium point, I sent her images of the works and asked her to choose which one she wanted me to use as the basis for her final piece.

She chose the piece I'll feature in an upcoming blog post.  There were two reasons that I abandoned working on either of these  oil sketches.  I wanted to focus on making sure I did the work to complete her final piece. Also, I discovered that the brand of white I used that I got on sale (it was Bob Ross's Warm White) didn't dry enough to push past my original alla-prima (wet on wet style of painting) for months.  At first I worried the problem was that I applied the paint too thickly (I used a painting knife to do the work).  But after a short while, I realized something else was to blame -- that's when I figured out it was the paint.

       When the paint finally dried enough that I could work on the pieces again, I was able to make needed adjustments to Oil Sketch with Dahlias in Vase in the down times when the final commission was drying. Although the design wasn't chosen by my client for the final piece, I love the energy I was able to bring to the piece because I used a painting knife and let myself use a faster, looser painting style than I normally use.  I also really like the formal style of the composition.  It reminds me of a compositional style that an early impressionist might have chosen.  And,  it may seem a small thing, but I love the way I was able to suggest the stems in the vase.

     Because it's a sketch, on September the 4th, I'm putting it up for sale in my DailyPaintworks.com gallery, and I will be making it available for substantially less than I would a standard work on my site.  Normally, I calculate the price to be $12.50 (w+h) (which means a 30 x 24" work would cost $675), but I'm going to make it available for half that -- $338.00 -- plus applicable tax and a nominal shipping fee.  If you are interested in buying this piece, check it out in my gallery on dailypaintworks.com.

    Check out tomorrow's blog to see the other oil sketch I produced when working on my most recent commission.  It's still a work in progress, and I'd love your input as I finally get down to finishing it!

Delivering the Commission -- Thank Goodness!

Tracy delivering Dahlia of My Heart -
a Commission to Cindi D

For Christmas last year, the Mathematics and Computer Science faculty at Franklin and Marshall College (in Lancaster, PA), gave their department coordinator a gift she had specifically requested: a painting by me!  I was touched and excited to be working with her, and foolishly assumed that I'd be able to get it to her in short order.  I just delivered it on Monday -- after clearly miscalculating how long the process would take.  My miscalculation was caused by a number of factors:  Cindi had to decide the topic of the work, and we had to decide on the image of the topic chosen that would make her heart sing.

       That was a more involved process because of me.  I had just seen an article featuring Ann Rea, an influential landscape artist who specializes in commissions and whose website was featured on theabundantartist.com as one of "9 Great Artist Websites".

I love the collaborative way Ann works with her clients.  She often travels with clients to the place they want painted -- to see exactly what they loved about the place.  She then creates two small works based on that research and has the client choose which of Ann's interpretations best match their own vision.  While I can't afford at this time to travel in the way Ann does, I did do research and did follow Ann's lead  -- producing two small pieces for Cindi to choose between before starting on the final piece.  And, through the process I sent pictures of the work in progress and asked her for her input.

Cindi's Bonus Painting

As I was wrapping up my work on the piece, Cindi was able to visit me at my studio, and I found more about the reason she loved the type of Dahlia I was painting.  It was named for a family member she loved and lost too soon.  She showed me a picture that included this person, and I was so touched that I created a small watercolor of the picture that I delivered at the same time as I delivered Dahlia of my Heart. I didn't know how she'd react, but fortunately she loved both pieces  -- as you can tell by her smile.

  Tomorrow I'll show you the two sample oils I created for Cindi before starting on the final version of her commission. One is completed, but one is still in progress.  Both will be available for sale.

What I'm Working on Now!

This is a glimpse of the commission piece I'm working on now. Finishing up this 24 x 30" gallery-wrapped commission in oils.

Even Unwanted Kittens are Cute

Can You See Me? 10 x 10" Watercolor and Inktense Pencil on
Canvas by Tracy Feldman

Yesterday, I looked out my front door to see this cutie asleep in one of my hanging planters.  He's one of the new crop of feral kittens that have been born in our community this summer.  Like all of his brethren, he is adorable. But ... he's squishing the succulents I put in that hanging basket, and he's going to present another danger to the local birds and other fauna.  Even so, I couldn't resist photographing, sketching and then painting him.  

    Painting him also gave me a great excuse to play with the new Derwent Inktense Pencils my sister gave me.  Derwent describes these pencils by saying, "Pencil to ink in just one wash!".  I knew from my sister that the colors would get very intense when you put water on them, so I started with laying down a light watercolor wash and then added the pencils for intensity and precision.  Although they are in theory permanent after they dry, they're not really intended to be put on a primed canvas, so I wasn't sure how permanent they would be. Also, watercolors definitely are NOT permanent on canvas without being treated, so like with others of my watercolors on canvas, I gave this little painting a quick spray of a clear coat to protect it from water, wear, and the fading effects of sun.  I hope you like it as much as I did painting it.  I'm going to put it up for auction in my DailyPaintworks.com gallery.http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/403123

Sketching Newport (Rhode Island)

Newport Door, 5 x 8" sketch by Tracy Feldman

 I admire people who can sketch in situ.  They seem so relaxed and focused, not nervous about people looking over their shoulders.  I am not one of those people most of the time.  Not only am I kind of shy, but my sweet Arny is a guy on the go when we are traveling.  And the truth be told, I too like seeing what is around the next corner (on foot or in my car) too much to want to sit a lot when we are in a place we know we won't be for long.

Thus, I take pictures to sketch when I get home (or to our room at night).  Sketching still is a useful exercise to do because it works my drawing and composition skills and allows me to play with different media that I may be reluctant to try out in a "real" painting. Sketching also is a good spiritual exercise in that it is an act of being willing to let go of the illusion of perfection and embrace what is good and fun about working on paper that is too thin not to buckle some when wet, and too absorbent to feel as good as working on good watercolor paper.  The edges tend to be softer, the colors are more difficult to lift, and it's harder to achieve the brilliancy  I usually love.

All that being said, I like the energy and looseness of my sketches -- even if it sometimes takes me a while, and several layers of material to achieve the balance of looseness and detail/vibrancy I want.
For instance, to create these pieces, I started with a pencil to do a basic sketch, then added watercolor crayons, then marker, then regular watercolors, then white and walnut ink, and white gel pen in these pieces.  So, like life, these "simple" sketches in reality have a pretty complicated back story.

Churchyard Irises

Churchyard View

Sketching Local Americana in Hellam, PA

Haines Shoe House 5.5 x 8.5", w/c
and ink sketch by Tracy Feldman

Art can come in many forms – from the serious to the goofy, and today’s sketches are of a piece of commercial art that definitely falls into the latter category.   It is the Haines Shoe House. As with similar American commercial art, the Shoe was designed and constructed specifically to attract attention and promote a product or location.  Not all these building look like shoes, of course. Over the years I’ve seen giant snow cones, coffee pots, frying pans, tires, fish, and even the Longaberger office building, built as a 6-story picnic basket.


We have driven past the Shoe for over 30 years. It reminds me of the children’s nursery rhyme that starts out, “There was an old lady who lived in a shoe”.  We’ve always wondered about its history, but never took the time to find out.  Yesterday became the day because Arny had read an article on a new owner buying, refurbishing and re-opening the Shoe to the public, and we wanted something small to do on a hot, hazy, humid day.   I’m glad we visited the Shoe.
 
We learned that Mahlon Haines, a natural promoter, built the Shoe House after World War II to attract

Sketch of stained glass entry door

attention to his chain of shoe stores. Some initially thought that was a crazy risk.  But by running a contest all over the area his stores covered, he proved the doubters wrong.  The contest's prize was a free week’s vacation in the Shoe -- with paid servants, a chauffeured car, free tickets to shows,  free shoes, and clothes, etc. for the winners.

According to our guide, Haines brilliantly increased the newsworthiness of the contest (and the shoe/shoe store chain) by partnering with the mayors of all the towns, who submitted the names of their town's newlyweds and golden anniversary couples. Thus the mayors sent out press releases when one of their couples won the contest. In the first year of the contest, the stores' revenue increased by about two and half times what the scheme cost Haines.
 
When Haines died, he passed the Shoe on to his employees, and its fortunes went up and down over the years.  The current owners run a bakery/ice cream shop.  (We got sugar cookies for Arny that he really liked.) They also conduct paid tours of the Shoe.  The tour isn’t inexpensive for the size of the attraction, but the personal attention is excellent and the atmosphere is very friendly.  We hope these owners have success because it's neat to see a piece of Americana being preserved.  I hope you enjoy my sketches as much as I enjoyed our tour and visit.

Day Two of Binghamton Hillside

Binghamton Hillside, Day II, Oil on Canvas, Tracy Feldman

The other day, I posted my initial underpainting for my newest piece, and I said that I'd post images in progress.  Here  is the second one.  Putting down the macro-pointillist dots to create the shadow areas looks interesting.  I needed to stop, however,  to allow the paint to dry before adding the next layers.