Friday, December 28, 2007

LLANO SAN JUAN - UNDERPAINTING

"LLANO SAN JUAN" - Underpainting
36"x48" Original Oil on fine Belgian Linen.
To be framed in silver with linen liner.

Am hoping that this painting will have a quiet, "waking up" feeling to it. It is a large canvas, which I prepared with three coats of gesso mixed with Payne's Grey. This "grisaille" sets the tone for the painting -- it also takes down the color a bit so that the end result is more subtle, less "cartoony". For the underpainting my palette colors have been mixed with MG White and Turpentine. I have used bristle brushes to paint and "draw" in the composition. I am trying to build a rhythm with the shapes and lights and darks.....hoping to draw the viewer's eye into the canvas and keep it there for a long time. There are so many elements that go into this first step -- it is the foundation of the painting -- the next step will be the glazes......Stay tuned.

Be the first to see this completed painting -- you are invited to join my list of Art Friends. Send your e.mail address to me at dclair@donnaclairart.com -- your privacy is fully protected and your information will never be given to a third party.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

EL CORAZON DEL NORTE - SOLD!


"EL CORAZON DEL NORTE" - SOLD!
30"x40" Original Oil on Fine Belgian Linen
Framed in Gold with Linen Liner

San Antonio Catholic Church in the heart of the Hispanic village of Valdez in northern New Mexico (view from the Rim Road). This painting was completed 27 December 2007. For price and availability, please e.mail at dclair@donnaclairart.com or call my Taos Studio at (575) 758-7454.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

CORAZON DEL NORTE - PHASE II - GLAZES

"CORAZON DEL NORTE" - GLAZES
30"x40" Original Oil on Fine Belgian Linen

This is the second phase of this painting -- adding the dark, transparent and semi-transparent glazes over the underpainting after it has dried. For the dark greens: Prussian Blue and Burnt Sienna -- then for the richer, lighter areas of the trees - Chrome Oxide Green Opaque and Cadmium Orange. The grasses - Burnt Sienna, Olive Green some Transparent Gold Ochre and some Alizarin Crimson. This step adds the richness to all the colors as the light is refracted through to the underpainting. These dark areas also make the opaque colors appear to dance off the canvas! Projected completion date for this work is January 7th, 2008.