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Through Iron... the Stones of Venice With its rustic stone buildings and narrow canals, Venice has always captivated this artist. She wanted to paint the essence of a unique city from a different perspective. Step One:I decided to paint the stone buildings fronting a canal framed by the curves of an old wrought-iron railing. For the design, I combined three photographs I had taken of the buildings, balconies and bridges around Venice. Originality and freshness of approach to a painting can often give special appeal. I love painting with pastels and heat-set oils. For the depth and strength of this particular painting, I chose to use oils on canvas. I started by painting a very rough ‘block-in’ of colour and line, but soon decided that I did not like the composition - so I painted a white wash over the whole canvas ready to start over with a modified design. Step Two:Having settled on a design, I sketched the basic shapes and lines using a thin wash. This step was a rough map of where I intended to go with the painting. Great advice I once received was to ‘start painting as though you were using a broom and finish as though you were using a needle!’ Handy advice for someone who tended to start way too early with the needle. I now find success in blocking in areas first and then using many layers of paint to refine. Wild and rough to start; and then slowly - layer upon layer - refining. |
