Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Capturing sunlight



Katie and Sam
Watercolour full sheet
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Before I started working in acrylics about 6 years ago I'd been doing
watercolours for 10 years. Towards the end of that period I started to
focus primarily on people. Light was everything to me, and
I gravitated to painters who could convey the intensity of sunlight
and shadow with ease. One of these was Skip Lawrence, who I
didn't meet and study with, until he, was no longer so interested
in the hot light of summer, and I was no longer painting in watercolour.
http://www.skiplawrence.com/

Why the shift for me? I'd like to do watercolour now and then, but it
is the kind of medium that really demands control and
understanding. I remember the fun of almost spilling the paint
around the paper like I did with this portrait, and the surprises
that happen with every watercolour are one of the joys of
painting. Now I love the way I can make "mistakes" and change
the decisions I make when I begin to paint, at any time during a
painting. Plus, from a practical point of view, works on canvas are
worth more, and I don't need to frame my paintings -- a huge expense
-- to enter shows. But the real reason I've stayed with acrylics is that
they can create powerful colour, my current passion, and they're
so much fun to use.

Have a capturing sunlight day.

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Portrait Artist

My photo
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I paint and draw on commission and for shows. To commission a portrait, or purchase one of my paintings please contact me at: barbara.muir@sympatico.ca
A major highlight in my career? Drawing Oprah Winfrey live via Skype for her show "Where in the Skype are you? Galleries: Studio Vogue Gallery, Toronto, Canada. The Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York City. Gallery at the Porch Door, Kingston, Canada. Your positive comments on this blog mean the world to me. I'd love to hear from you!