Monday, July 27, 2009

Time Out

It has been over a year since I painted in acrylic so I thought I'd see how that felt again. Wasn't thrilled with how fast it kept drying and I missed the smooth stroke of an oily paintbrush. The good thing was that the colors stayed separated. Might try it again in oil for comparison but I already sent this one in to Karin Jurick. 11 x 12 inches on canvas. Private Collection. (afterthought -- do any of you ever paint an entire painting again over a completed acrylic one?)

19 comments:

Pattie Wall said...

I like that you flipped the subject - more difficult! I like the brushstrokes and the light you made on his clothes! Do you mean paint over (like gesso over) and then paint another? All the time. Can't afford new canvas mostly.

Camille LaRue Olsen said...

Hi Pattie and thanks for the feedback. What I meant was, do you ever try to duplicate what you have in acrylic but paint over it in oil? I guess I could even change the colors a little and the acrylic would peek through... could be an interesting experiment!

Connie said...

Sounds like an interesting experiment. I would love if you would try it on another canvas, in oil. Whenever I do the same composition, it ends up more interesting than the first. I imagine, without a deadline, the oil one would be so satisfying and even more remarkable.

Ann Rogers said...

Nice flip to the subject. I would think that would be harder to capture. Nice entry!

Camille LaRue Olsen said...

Thank you Ann, I just reversed the photo so it wasn't any harder to do, but felt like a new start to me. Now that I've done it I want to go see all the other entries, I have only seen a few! You know how after you do them you can appreciate everyone else's version much better? At least I think so. Thanks again.

Thanks to you, too, Ms. Connie!

Edward Burton said...

Hi Camille, glad to see you're back!
Great job with the challenge - I really like the way you cropped it and the use of light.

Mark Bridges said...

Looks like he's kicking back at lake Travis.

Claire Beadon Carnell said...

Like that you flipped the image, also like the atmosphere you have created round the figure - he fits into it perfectly!

Camille LaRue Olsen said...

Mark, I was thinking of baseball practice (he's the grand-dad) at Zilker Park maybe :)

Edward, it's good to be back, finally got my rear in gear :)

Claire, nice to 'meet' you and glad to have found your blog!

Angela Elledge said...

Camille-good for you for tackling acrylic, acrylics don't like me! I think this is lovely and perhaps it's because of the composition, but this looks like it would be a huge canvas...I like when you can be fooled that way.

I took a class in acrylics a couple of years ago and hated my paintings, but took them home and then painted over them in oils and I loved the technique...the teacher did, too. I would be curious to see if you like the technique and if it works for you.

Dana Cooper said...

Missed you Camille! Glad you are back with this beautiful figure.
I have never tried painting the exact same painting over acrylic but probably like so many, I have painted over old paintings allowing some of the original to peek through. I do like the effect.

Gwen Bell said...

Really great job on this, Camille! Love the sunshine and the way you have that golden yellow glow throughout. You got the figure perfect.

The Acrylic question...yes, many many times. In fact, I find that is one of it's redeeming qualities, being able to paint over parts, or even all of it, so easily. I also like that it is so adaptable to other mediums unlike the task master Oil. What it lacks in color oomph, it makes up for in versatility.

Camille LaRue Olsen said...

Wow, you three wonderful ladies just commented within one minute -- what's the likelihood of that?! haha

Angela, I actually did the full figure but cropped the photo since my proportions were so off. (gave him little stubby legs and teensy feet) So that's why I'm painting it again -- want to get the assignment right if I can!

Dana, I have just not felt like starting anything for what, 5 or 6 weeks? Terrible to lay off that long -- gives one such a mental block. I'm doing the oil version now and I'm all trepidacious -- crazy.

Gwen, I am really missing that one aspect of acrylic today. You can't just slap that oil on there knowing you can paint over it if it's not quite right. Have to *think* and plan! Neither of those are my strong suit, yikes!

Great to hear from you girlies, and two from my hometown -- woohoo! :)

Glenda Mosher said...

I really like the play of light on this! You have created a feeling composition.

Camille LaRue Olsen said...

Thank you, Glenda, I really was hoping to give it a late afternoon light feeling. Light aficionados might tell me I needed a warmer gold, but... maybe next time! :) Baby steps...

dominique eichi said...

I love the light you gave him , great entry for DSFDF

Camille LaRue Olsen said...

Glad you like it, Dominique. Now I don't know about doing that street scene for the next one...

Vern Schwarz said...

Camille, sorry it took so long to comment here. You did a great job on this and in acrylic. I haven't touched mine since last fall. Reversed view looking into the sunset is cool.

Camille LaRue Olsen said...

Hey Vern thanks! I just wanted to inject a little optimism into his world, the photo had such a bleak feeling for me. It's a whole new day for him now. I think that was a sunrise anyway, not a sunset. :)