Sold at Art in the Park

As part of the Richmond Hill studio Tour promotion I was asked to paint  at an official Park opening as part of an Art in the Park event. Its always lovely to meet and chat to the public about what we love doing.

I was painting the last in the current Ted series. It's technically not quite a miniature  if you include the painted in mat but the actual painting part is only 6.5 by 2.75 inches so its pretty small.

 I hadn't quite finished it by the end of the afternoon so brought it home and finished it yesterday morning. I promised several people that I would post it here so they could see the completed painting so here it is.

The legendry detective Furlock Holmes is busy investigating another crime scene where fine art has been appreciated a little too literally! Furlock uses his trusted magnifying glass to search for the smallest clue that might lead him to the cupcake tasting criminal. But while he is caught up in the fine details of the case, is he missing the bigger picture?

and yes, the painting is sold. One of the organisers fell in love with it as I was painting it at the park and has reserved it.  

Create-Ted

For all of us that love Teddy bears you might not know that we actually owe huge thanks to an artist for its creation as well as Teds namesake Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt.

For those who do not know the story…On November 14, 1902, Theodore Roosevelt attended a bear hunt in Mississippi. During the hunt, Roosevelt came upon a wounded young bear and ordered a mercy killing because he hated to see him suffer. The Washington Post ran an editorial cartoon created by the political cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman that illustrated the event. At first Berryman drew the bear as a fierce animal but later he redrew the bear making it a cuddly cub. The cartoon and the story it told became popular and within a year, the cartoon bear became a toy for children called the teddy bear.

This painting, while not depicting the event specifically, celebrates the idea behind it…. I wanted to capture the focus, imagination and thought that goes into a painting as the artist brings their ideas to life (quite literally in this case) on the paper.

Thank you Paul for agreeing to be my model for this painting. I really appreciate it and I hope I captured even just a little of your wonderfully creative spirit, and the care and thought you put into each painting you do.

Transparent Watercolour 22 inches by 15.75 on Arches 140lb cold press paper. 

Ona

More progress

Blogger seems to be doing strange things today. My post from yesterday seems to have disappeared and I've just got an e mail notification for another post I made months ago instead of the one below.  I guess gremlins are in the works. Apologies if you too got the wrong or an extra e mail or feeder notification.

 I thought I would share my progress today because I finally managed to get a half decent photo of the painting so far (Its a just a touch over saturated in the background).

Paul is now nearly complete. I just have a little bit more work on the hand and brush and some final overall value adjustments then I will be ready to begin work on the objects on the table and the actual section that Paul is painting.

 I'll post again once the painting is finished.

Ona

My Progress

I've been working on the portrait section of the painting over the last few days. I still have the hair on the right side to finish and the final darkening washes to go over the whole area but I need to paint in the clothes first before I can do this as some of the hair falls over the top of his shirt.

Some of the colour matching isn't as accurate as I would like in the photo above especially with the skin tones and hair which is much darker in the actual painting but hopefully as I paint more it will get easier to photograph.

It was the focus in Paul's face when I was watching him demo at the TWSA celebration weekend in June that initially gave me the idea for the painting. I think his expression sums up, for me, the love that artists have in the creative process. We begin with an idea that only we as the artist can see in our minds and are so totally absorbed in its creation as we put paint to paper.

Ona

Finally I'm painting again

I have been busy working away at the background to this painting over the last few days. Its nothing like the background in the reference photo I am using which was taken at the TWSA celebration weekend a month or so ago. I have kept the lighting direction the same but wanted to create a very different feel for this painting.

My subject? Well, can anyone guess who it is from the outline?

Ona

Featured Artist

I'm the featured artist on 'Art on the Hill' today. Click on the  link to read my feature and find out how I got started in the world of art, who my inspiration as an artist has been, what colours best describe me and the answers to several more fun questions.

Book the dates 19th and 20th of October in your calenders too because I will be part of the Richmond Hill Studio Tour again this year and will have many of my paintings on display at Boynton House in Richmond Hill that weekend. 

Ona