Nothing's Sacred, watch the light!

 Today was full of experiments. I experimented with changing paint colors and photographing the images in various lights.  How many times have you finished a painting, set it on the mantle to see it outside of your studio and found the values were too dark?  Take note of how the light changes the look of the same pear.

 I had an acrylic pear that was a ghost from a monoprint.  The image was too flat.  (Here I have to apologize, because I thought the old image was in my files, but it wasn't.)
My goal was to repaint the pear in oil.  Yesterday this pear was green/gold!  I used a Indigo  as the shadow underneath and feel that color should be avoided unless you plan the whole color scheme around it.  Obviously, I didn't plan and had to wipe the whole painting away.

New plan, still flying by the seat of my pants, I discover a beautiful color that I would like to try: Grumbacher Barrick Flesh Blush(B), yum.  I paired it with Cad Yellow light(CYL), Yellow Ochre(YO), Ultramarine Blue(U), Transparent Orange Oxide (OO) and Transparent Red Medium(R).  The plan is emerging.

First pass! Imagine light from bottom right.

 Window light=pale & pasty
Overworked! Ugh!
More paint!

Finished? Photo window + studio light

No lights. This how it will look in a home.

The moral of this story is don't be afraid to re-invent, revise.  It's only paint and its not sacred...yet!

Christmas Pear

Sometimes it sneaks up on you.  You are marching to life with your own beat, trying to pay attention to your loved ones; trying to ignore all the noise around you pinging for your attention.  Buy me!  You have until xxx at midnight to get your gifts sent in time!  Don't you think that the pressure to buy starts so soon, because the Post Office or the Brown guys need to have time to get those gifts out there?  I remember loving writing Christmas cards, dreaming of snow, planning kids gifts, going to Midnight magical Service at Church.  Once the kids were grown, something happened, I don't know what, but it takes me till December 15th to start marching in step.  Yesterday I had a blah pear with going nowhere values.  Today, a little green, a little red and the Christmas Pear was born.  See, it's the 15th!
 Here is the result.

Christmas Pear. Not for Sale but watch for cards!

Red Christmas Pear - a companion to the Christmas Pear

Dimpled Pear

Continuing along the pear theme, I find myself intrigued by a different color palette.  I purchased some Bosc pears, looking at each individual pear for its "personality".  The one shown here is dimpled.  I like the limited palette of Alizarin, Raw Sienna, Moonglow, Prussian Blue and Taupe/White.  It is a lower value than I usually use to paint, but it says evening, sultry, sophisticated?

Dimpled pear

Pears, peers, pairs, puns

This week, I am having fun with wordplay.  It all started with a small couple of small pears from last week that I called Pair in the air.  The French translation is a little off but you get the idea.  These small 6x6 pears will be in a show this weekend at Timbuktu (formerly 1504) coffeehouse.  The owner asked me to paint at least one more, so I painted a trio of pears and started a single pear before leaving for the East Coast.  Yesterday I rushed to finish the images, adhere them to the board, varnish etc.

Because the first painting was pair in the air and I have such a difficult time creating names for my art, I decided to play with the words.  The single pear is Peerless (not a pair); the trio is Pair plus (one). Today they will be delivered to latest most charming coffeeshop on Whidbey.  Timbuktu is located in Freeland across the highway from the Island Athletic Club.  Opening is Dec 4, try to stop by for the show.

Pair plus 6x6 $110

Peerless 6x6 $110

Sketching Jay @ Useless Bay and more pears.

6x6 pairs in the air

Pair

We were supposed to be sketching the glass at Callahan McVay's glass shop today in Langley.  Callahan decided to take the day off and was closed so our group went to Useless Bay Coffee and enjoyed with warm atmosphere.  Once again I became intrigued with the view outside through the mirrors and decided to sketch Jay with the mirrors in the background.  Jay is pleased that he looks younger than he is and I am pleased with the sketch.

I have also been working on more pears one of which will be for the 6x6 show at 1504 coffee shop.  It is called pairs in the air (in french).  I have also another couple of pair pears that I call pair.  These pears keep me wondering what will be next.  Enjoy

By the way, come to the Open Door Gallery for more pears and good fun on Saturday, Nov 20, 2010.

Sketching Jay, sketching me at Useless Bay

Pears!

Why am I so obsessed with pears?  Is it their beautiful color, feminine shape?  Pears don't care that they are bottom heavy, and skinny on the top.  Their colors vary so much, even a mahogany red pear has green, gold highlights.  One pear may be more green and red, another more burgundy and blue.

 The gold pears fool you into thinking they are just gold, but then when you look closely, you see blushes of red or green; just the reverse of the red pears.  They are a beautiful and delicious symbol of fall, my mother's favorite season.  I haven't been tempted to paint the "brown pears" (bosc?), because I love rich color.  Now that I've said that, couldn't a bosc pear be cerulean, hmm.

Painting a pear is not as simple as it looks.  I've seen beautiful giant pears on canvas, airbrushed to perfection.  These pears are the elite, high society of peardom.  They could live easily in a penthouse with high ceilings, white walls, black furniture and sleek chrome appliances.  No dust on these pears please!

My pears come from Italy, where I would like to go.  They are sun-kissed, misshapen, with  knobby crooked stems and divots on the bottom that make them difficult to pose for my brush.  One side is fatter than the other, some are dull and dry looking, others shine to perfection.  To me, they say paint me, just me!

These pears speak to old-fashioned, textured wallpaper, splatters on the wall, maybe from testing the spaghetti, small prints, hominess.  They hang out waiting for love and attention. I notice them and paint them with love and rich color!

So, here I am still in my pajamas reviewing the pears I started yesterday, adding a touch of dimension here and there.  I'd like to go wash my face and brush my teeth and work in the garden, but.... they are ALMOST finished.

To see more of this obssession go to www.patbrookes.com or, www.etsy.com/shop/patbrookes

3 mahogany pears 7x11 mixed media $150

1 red/green pear 7 x 11 mixed media $150.

Before and after

Before 

After

Sometimes you look at something and think, "it just doesn't talk to me".  The first pear was that way; the background spoke more loudly than the pear.  Seeing that it is all about that iconic pear, action was taken!  I made a beautiful blue and covered the too bright blue green and gave the pear the elegance that it deserved.  It looks like a velvet and velour background now and the pear is happy.