Bethany with Crown of Thorns (The Human Condition II)

Bethany

I did this as yet possibly unfinished painting in the car driving to and from Krista's baptism last night. I did it on my iPad using Artrage. I did not start from a photo of any kind, not even a reference photo-- it's a freehand digital finger painting. I used almost all the available tools--experimenting with them, just for the fun of it. I combined things that might be hard to combine on paper: oils, acrylics, water colors, pastels, crayons, pencils, air bush, etc. I think I used everything.

I painted it in the car in the dark in the backseat hurtling along the freeway over bumps and around turns. I am working to learn the new iPad Artrage. I couldn't have painted with oils or acrylics in that situation. I couldn't even type--I tried it!

For some reason, I kept wanting to add a crown of thorns, but felt it would be sacrilegious. I was thinking perhaps it reminds me, maybe because of the colors, of a famous painting of Jesus with the crown of thorns. I had a painting in mind, after I thought of it, but I googled it and couldn't find it. Maybe it wasn't a famous painting. Maybe just something I saw in someone's house. Originally, Bethany wasn't smiling. Smiling, it seems like a crown of thorns would be wholly inappropriate.

Click image to view larger.

Writing Letters

ONE more for the secret project.

Happy Halloweeh--in progress

The making of the annual halloween card/self-portrait

Messy Baby Tentative Final

I am not really happy with this, but mainly, I am unhappy with the scan of it. The electric blue, for example. The original painting is somewhat softer.

Look back to see earlier versions (process).

The Messy Baby project continued

After an hour of severe flickering, our power went out last night--it flickered while I was cooking--making cooking difficult, and went out while were eating--I was painting this picture. I packed up and went to R'dale and spent the evening in my studio painting--a large area of GPF had no power--high winds, downed trees--but Detroit was unaffected.

I know there are lots of things wrong with this as YET unfinished picture, but I had such a good time painting it that I felt like an artist for maybe the first time ever. (NOT DONE YET!)

Remember, this is a SECRET project, so don't mention it.

Scroll down to the older blog posts see the entire process of this painting.

This is a multi-media piece, which so far has gouache, pencil, acrylic and water color. It is the final image I am interested in, not any sense of faithfulness to a particular medium. However, I must say, I really enjoyed the process.

Messy baby--started the painting with gouache

First two colors added

Messy baby sketch

The first (ha ha) step of making a painting is the sketch.

reference photos (art) for next painting

I had to email the composit to myself and print it on another printer. Now I am ready to sketch. Scroll down to learn more about the process and up to see future steps, when available.

Messy Baby Digital composit

I am going to start a new painting and I spent the morning creating a digital composit from which to paint--that it, a reference to study as I work. This is for a children's book I am working on--I'd say more but it's a secret.