Painting 1 (UPM); Assignment 5 – preparation (5)

WHAT?

As part of my research into the work of Mary-Anne Aytoun Ellis (see earlier blog posts, e.g. Assignment 4), I had been interested in her use of gesso as an integral part of the work, not just as a base layer. I wanted to work on this, and found a leafy, textured corner of the garden by my front gate which I thought could be dramatic with its light/dark contrasts.

SO WHAT?

Never having really studied my garden gate in any detail before, and wanting this painting to feel quite free, I made sure to get in some sketches first, both continuous line and tonal:

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I began by using the technique I had developed in one of the Exercises; mixing a small amount of oil paint into the gesso before applying it to the canvas, and then putting it on thickly with gestural marks to mirror the positions and textures of the eventual image.

I used my “greens” chart (see blog post “preparation (4)”) to select my mix ofyellow and blue, choosing ultramarine blue and lemon yellow, and I added burnt umber and titanium white to my palette. I was painting a small cormer of the garden, and chose a small canvas to indicate this – 18 x 24cm.

Once this was dry, I began applying paint using a large flat brush, trying not to fiddle with details but just indicate roughly where things would go. I put the darks in first (ultramarine/burnt umber mix) in a watery mix, and left these overnight so the painting was dry to the touch.

Next, this time using a large filbert, I firmed up the detail of the gate using a couple of layers (where needed) of dilute paint, and loosely added the darker area of foliage.

Again, I left this to dry a bit overnight before adding the final layer of a pretty thick partial mix of the existing green with some more lemon yellow. I did add a few dabs of titanium white on the leaves in a couple of places, but found they killed the painting, so blended them in.

NOW WHAT?

• I have always struggled to paint a mass of leaves, and I think that this gesso technique is one way of achieving the effect; in particular, in this painting, I wanted the gate to be the focus and the foliage just to be indicated, and I think this has worked.
• I really enjoyed the bold strokes with the larger brushes – I am a bit of a fiddler – so I am going to try and use the bigger brushes more.
• Even though this is basically a browny-greeny image, I think that this time (as was not the case with the eucalyptus painting I tried in “…preparation (1)”), I have managed enough tonal contrast to make it lively and interesting.