out with the old --- and Venice with Salute -- and Paint Party Friday

finally, after many weeks, I took down my temporary painting studio in the living room which was my artistic home for 90 days! Sorry was I to see it go..... however, when the time comes to change, the time comes to change.

meanwhile, the non-painting aspects of the EPP are ocurring, slowly but surely, in a 2nd tier of priorities to other things, such as seeking remunerative circumstances & going to lots of arts fairs to sell some of the wood art JH & I produce.

But some things which have happened and will be happening:

1) cleared off living room allows room for commencement of Epic Drawing - the last reward promised to be delivered now, at the end of August sometime. Some of you lovely people already responded to my survey a while ago providing info & ideas - to you, thanks!! You shall be seeing things soon. I will set up the drawing & begin adding to it, as much as I can stand, till the end of August - then I will cut it up & mail each of you a piece. 

JMW Turner original - Venice with Salute - c. 1840 - 45

2) I added a better Contributors page which can be seen here. Please, if you belong on this list and would like a URL to your business or interest noted, write me back! Likewise, if you noticed I have overlooked you (oh no!!) please let me know ASAP sol (dot) invictus (dot) etc (at) gmail


3) I added the beginnings of an About this Project site which can be seen here.


4) I have begun the Portfolio page which can be seen here. This is a process which will take a while seeing as I am consistently disillusioned by the photos that emerge! Got 1//3 through I think, and need all the titles.

Was hoping to have begun a new painting in time to share with the folks over at Paint Party Friday, but what with cleaning and other projects I haven't had a moment :( I still wanted to partake of the happy little community there, however, by sharing one of the last brushstrokes I put on the project, with a little Before and After demonstration.

before

after

This painting is titled Venice with the Salute, originally from the year 1840 or so, during Turner's impressionistic/Italian phase - as it were - which I have discussed elsewhere during this narrative.

As can be seen above in the original Turner version, not much save a misty, blown-out white can be seen - a haze on a Venetian sunset is the image described, and quite fetching, if indistinct.

How I chose to approach it was to paint the background as best as I could distinguish it, as well as the sky and the general tonality of the water, and wait for some weeks for the oil to be dry enough to add a white glaze. This 'before' iteration, as seen at upper left, resulted. This was finished at this level around the 5th of may. I was pleased with the result in & of itself - and was hard pressed to continue with the original plan, but continue, i did.

What resulted was the 'after' image at bottom left. I took white and mixed it with Liquen Light, then painted over the whole thing. Looks pretty cool to me, and faithful to the original! For those who prefer the former, I'm sorry!! It doesn't exist anymore.... I did this sometime last week - say, June 23rd - it was the last thing I did before putting the Turner setup away.

Off to a photo show now! I will strive to catch as many of you PPFers as I can.

 update: my computer's being incredibly glitchy at the moment & it's all I can do to open most people's blogs, let alone comment! I apologize for any neglect & will see how things look tomorrow evening