Deux Tournesols

 

Another small painting inspired by the Facebook group, “Free Reference photos for artists”. The photograph was by Ilona E. Stefan”. I also submitted this to Carol Marine’s challenge here: dailypaintworks. She advises to paint sunflowers over and over again and they'll just keep getting better.

“Deux Tournesols”
12.5x18cm, Cobra oil on canvas panel

Blue

Another one based on a photo by Ilona E. Stefan (Free Reference Photos for Artists FB group). Her flower arrangements just “paint themselves.”

 "Pansies in a blue vase"
13x18cm, Cobra oil on canvas
(Private collection, Brussels)

Winter Sunset

Time for snow scenes — this one from the Free References Photos for Artists group (thanks to photographer Hanneke Koonstra).

Wishing everyone a nice holiday season; stay safe at home!

“Winter Sunset”
13x18cm, Cobra oil on canvas panel

Friday's flower studies

 

"Vivre en rose"

13x18cm, Cobra oil on cotton panel
(Private collection, Brussels)

I'm trying to practice painting roses, and bring some color into this bleek period of clouds, corona, covid-19, confinement, ... Always liked Dufy's painting "30 ans, ou La vie en rose” — painted in 1931, 16 years before Edith Piaf released, “La vie en rose”.

“Roses on a doily”

13x18cm, Cobra oil on canvas

For my second recent rose study I used a water-soluble painting medium by Talens that goes with their paints. It makes a difference, especially in the later stages.

Coastal Sunset

 

Sunsets are difficult to paint from life but the Facebook group, Artists free Reference photos has some good ones. The photograph by Wendy Parkyn inspired my small painting.

“Coastal Sunset”

18x13cm, Cobral oil on canvas

La falaise à Dieppe, d’après Monet

Monet's cliffs are so extraordinary — you just want to go to the Normandy coast and apply paint the way he did back in 1882. The original Monet is 65x82cm while mine is much smaller.

“La falaise a Dieppe” d'après Claude Monet
22x27cm, Cobra oil on canvas

Happy Thanksgiving!

This one is based on a photo by Gaynor Lewis in the EARL Facebook Group (Every Artists Reference Library).

“Pardon me?”
15x15cm, Cobra oil on canvas panel

Tonalism

“Setting the tone”
14x24cm, Cobra oil on linen canvas

 

A Photogenic Chicken

I never knew there were so many different varieties of chicken. This one is from a photograph on the Artists Free Reference Photos group on Facebook. The photographer, Pam Fretwell, noted that it is a Black Rhode, a cross between a Rhode Island Red and a Plymouth Rock. In any case, the breed is very paintable. 

"A Photogenic Chicken" 

10x15cm, Cobra oil on gessoed cardboard

(private collection, Woluwe Saint Lambert) 

Quatre Vaches

 

The Internet has become a huge reservoir of reference material for artists. On Facebook there are now several groups where photographers post their photographs for artists to use as inspiration for their work.  This is handy during the pandemic when you don't want to spend too much time on the street. The above oil sketch is based on a photograph by Carol Shockett. I read in the group's rules that it's not obligatory to mention the photographer unless you are posting to the group but I like to credit the source. 

I'm trying out Cobra paints, a water-based oil paint by Talens. You dont need to use turpentine so that makes them ideal for indoor work.

"Quatre vaches"
10x15 cm, Cobra oil on canvas panel