Elevating the small things

Thursday, October 2

I’m not usually a still life or alla prima kind of artist but these small little daily studies are leading me that way, especially since I don’t want to spend too much time up front deciding what to practice with.

It is appealing that you get to elevate ordinary objects and reveal their beauty in the mood and light of your choosing.

I found this little guy at a farmer’s market across from a gas station in Salisbury, New Brunswick and carted him across Nova Scotia, on a ferry over to Newfoundland and all the way across the rock to my studio for the month.

Now he gets his own portrait. Really living it up.

For these studies, I’m liking a medium made from a 1:1 mix of Neo Megilp and Gamsol. It gives a nice balance of working time for alla prima painting while still keeping some of Megilp’s qualities.