Persephone's Rose (oil painting version)

"Persephone's Rose" 5x7

I decided to try this one in oil, using the grisaille with glazes. Again, I got a little too alla prima with it, but I'm getting better at glazing every time I do it. Click to see the acrylic version, which I no longer have, being as how I entered it in the 5x7 show at ArtHouse.

The other one had a more generic looking flower and this time I wanted a specific kind of blossom, so I chose a rose. Her expression looks a lot more intense in this one, too.

As to re-doing one's own ideas, as long as it stays fresh, sure, why not? I'm having fun with this bird lady theme.

The myth of Persephone is that Hades, king of the underworld, wanted a wife, and so he put a flower in a meadow that Persephone frequented. When she went to pick the flower he kidnapped her and took her to the underworld, where she became his Queen after eating a pomegranate. If she hadn't eaten the fruit she would have been able to go home, but then we wouldn't have winter (so if global warming is any indication, we will have to ask Queen P to kindly return to the Hades to cool things off).

Finished Iris Still Life (Glazed Grisaille Oil Painting)

"Irises" oil on canvas, 8x10.

Got this one finished, glazes and all. Since this was my very first attempt at glazing, it got a bit alla prima towards the end. Some of my initial underpainting got too well covered.

In the past few weeks I've been reading "How To Paint Like the Old Masters" by Joseph Sheppard, and it has helped tremendously. Very informative book. If you want to glaze in oil paints, this is definitely one to read.

Even though I enjoyed painting this still life, and I know that the straight realism has tremendous appeal, I'm pretty much set on my course of doing the fantastical genre. However, I'm determined on conquering realism because the style/genre I want to paint in demands it, and if I ever get skilled enough in realism to match my imagination, that would be highly gratifying!

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Keeper of the Keys

"Keeper of the Keys" oil  on 12x12 inch canvas.

This started out as a regular figure painting, but I redid it in monochrome, keeping the original pose.  The underpainting is done in violet oxide acrylic, with oil glazes over it. I learned a lot glazing the painting. Also had lots of fun with the owl and the cat.  It still needs to dry for several months; then I will put a varnish on it.