Barong Mask - The Artist Challenge #38

12"x12" oil on gallery wrap canvas. $250 including shipping.
The Artist Challenge for September was "Where The Wild Things Are". I picked this mask from my parents collection of Indonesian antiques. I've spent most of my childhood with this mask. It has managed to scare most of my babysitters. The mask is of a spirit called a Barong. It is a good spirit, meant to fight off evil forces. With a face like that, I don't doubt it. He's worse for wear due to age - lost a couple of his tusks. Still, remarkably fun to paint.

One Day (3hour) Underpainting/study

9"x12" oil on panel.

Our model that was originally scheduled had a family emergency and could not make it, so we practiced doing an underpainting study with James. An excellent model.
Panel was double primed - first layer of gesso primer in a light grey with a little yellow ochre. Second layer was created by making a neutral mix of three primary colors (red, yellow and blue) into a thinned out "sauce". I brushed that over the grey gesso ground. I then drew with the brush for the darker areas and wiped out with a cloth rag to create lighter areas. The instructor said this is a similar ground to what Rubens used for his paintings. That was kinda cool to think about. I'm considering doing the next step - which would be adding the next painting layers (with color). But what I'd do would be make a copy of this piece (Kinkos or somewhere like that) and then put a layer of GAC on it, and happily paint right over the copy...

Dahlia Close Up

12"x12" Oil on Stretched Canvas
I was late to enter the rookie painters challenge, one of these days I'll make the deadline. I learned a lot. Flowers are tough. So kudos to all the flower/floral artists out there.

Mirror, Mirror - Revisiting old work

18"x 24" Oil paint on Stretched Canvas
So again, I re-visited one of my older paintings. I had a lot of fun re-working this one. I darkened the ledge the apple sits on, so that it would anchor the piece. I added a pattern to the wall behind the mask. That was one crazy pattern to do! But it was worth it in the end.

The mask is a Chinese Mask I got when I lived in Beijing. I thought it was symetrical, but it's a little quirky - he or is it she? - has a crooked grin. And one of the lower eyelids was knocked off at some point. I have no idea what he represents, I like to believe that it's some type of buddha or bottisatva. Who knows.

And the apple brings me back to Snow White. I can't tell you why - I liked how the mask was looking down at the apple. As if it knew, that one bite of the apple, you'd fall asleep. And who would then be the Fairest of them All?

A Color Pencil Drawing & some Watercolors

The Color Pencil drawing is approx. 8"x8.5" (artwork dimensions) Framed.
Three Watercolors, all 8"x10", (artwork dimensions) framed.

All for sale!

Warm Up 2x3s, part Deux

From the top - Dogwood Flower, Apricots, Old Man in the Ball.
2"x3" Oil on cardstock.

Warm up 2x3s

A couple days ago I started a series of 2"x3" paintings on cardstock - I think they would qualify as ATC size pieces. Just for fun. They are quick pieces - under an hour each. Interested? Email me. More tomorrow.