This is another process painting that was inspired by an old, family photo. I began with the idea that I’d focus on colour. The background, the child’s shadows, all were going to be richly coloured in high chroma for an airy effect.
Stage 1 (cell phone image)
I got this far and left if overnight in the hopes that the paint fairies would surprise me. They didn’t so I gave it a good scrape and some big brush treatment, simplifying an overly-busy statement. If you read my post about the family on the beach, this will be familiar methodology😁.
Stage 2 (again with the phone)
This one gets a little closer to pleasing my eye. I wasn’t ready to abandon the piece because I’ve loved the photo for years and have tried on a few occasions to paint it. This time, I didn’t want to give up on it.
The one that worked: (good camera and colour corrected)
The 3rd attempt was the one that pulled it together into a coherent image. I attribute it to the bunny ears. I dashed them in on a whim and they were the key to making this image work. They added a poignancy which is something that I always feel when I look at photos of children long grown into adulthood.
We were all this small, once. We all wore funny hats with solemnity and dignity and went about our daily business without a bit of self consciousness. Normalcy for us could incorporate a lot of whimsy and play.
On a technical level, the ears also added a dark value that allowed me to add more darks elsewhere. I darkened the hair and lowered the overall value of the child’s body. In the process, he became more solid and earthy. I deepened the value of the background until it took on a moody atmosphere. That acted as a foil for fresh youthfulness and hinted at the world of adults. Overall, the piece got darker and that gave it an emotional charge that it didn’t have in the first pass. It went from decorative to meaningful - which just goes to show that there is no such thing as a trivial subject. Any subject can be elevated by smart painting choices.
If you would like to learn how to make those choices, I hope you’ll sign up for one of my upcoming online classes at the Winslow Art Center.
“Color and Shape: Elements for Dynamic Paintings” has a few spaces left and “Florals: Direct and Indirect” has one space left. Click on these titles to be taken to the Winslow site for information and registration. I work students hard and you’ll learn a lot.
Happy painting!