The Finished Oil Painting

As some of you know, I began oil painting again, after only painting on silk for the last 12 years.
And I fell in love with it all over again! Hello, old friend!! 
I took a ton of photographs, trying to get at least a few good ones, for this post.
I do believe this is the one that most resembles the actual painting.
I think.

Or maybe it's closer to this one.
Not sure.

I know it's not this one.
But I kinda like it.
I guess the actual colors in my painting are somewhere between all three of these photos.






I have three cameras. All three were used. The painting was photographed outside in the shade, in the sun, laying down, tilted and straight-up.
It was also photographed inside my studio, in the kitchen, under a light-source, with natural light.
None of the photographs are spot-on. Not because I didn't try! I wore myself out, trying!
I can honestly say that the hardest part of my painting experience was not the actual painting-process itself, but trying to take a decent photo of it!! Grrrrrrr!!
There has got to be a trick to this! Besides paying a photographer thirty-five bucks per painting!! (Although, that doesn't sound too bad, right about now!)

Here are my cameras -

This little guy took picture #1.

This one took picture #2.

And this one, my most expensive camera, took the worst picture... picture #3.

I didn't set out to buy all Canon cameras. How'd that happen?!

I've started another painting and I'm having a ball! But, I'm already getting that uneasy feeling about the photography-session that looms ahead. (Heeelp meeee!!)

To my new friends, if you'd like to see this painting in progress, in my studio, please peek here;

Oil Painting Again - And Loving It

By the way... how are you guys liking the new Blogger set-up? Yikes!! Another learning curve!! Just what I needed!

I'm trying to figure it out and it's not too easy, is it? What's that old saying, "Why fix it if it aint' broke?"

I'm almost afraid to push the "Publish" button. :)

There are SO many things to love!

I love "Followers" and comments too!

Thank you.

Signing off for now,

gabriele

For The Love Of Art: Part One

Before I became a silk painter, more than fourteen years ago, I painted in oils.

Here are a few of the many paintings I did back in the day.

I loved everything about oil paints... the smell, the texture, the Turpentine.

Then, one day, I discovered silk painting and tucked all the oil paints away!

But I still wanted to paint landscapes, so I did a few on silk. Like this one.

Then I started painting flowers on silk scarves and that was all she wrote! I was hooked!!

A few months ago, I went on a road trip to San Francisco and the wine country.

My nephew, Brad Gruno and I went to visit Katrina Frey at the beautiful Frey Vineyards.

I took a ton of pictures and when I saw this one, I knew that I had to paint it... in oils!!

Since I got that idea in my head, everything I looked at became a potential oil painting.

Here's another photo from Frey Vineyards. I love that place!

Katrina invited me to come down and be the artist-in-residence! Ohhh yeaah!!

(Katrina, if you're reading this, thank you again!!)

Another potential painting. (Minus the dashboard.)

From a recent trip to Descanso Gardens.

Another one from Descanso.

And another.

On a recent trip to Oregon I fell in love with the moss and thought that it would look gorgeous in a painting too!

Moss climbing on the side of a wall. A cool abstract!

Look at this lushness! Love it!!

I finally decided to go-for-it, but I couldn't find any of my old supplies!!!!

A few years ago, I came across my huge assortment of brushes and thought, "that's a weird place to have put them". Making a 'mental-note-to-self' I went about my life.

The moral of the story, don't put stuff in weird places and don't make mental-notes-to-self!

It ain't gonna work for ya. I've searched and searched for those brushes and supplies and can't find squat!! I finally gave up and bought some new stuff. Just the basics.

A container to put the globs of paint in, without having them dry out.

Two 16" x 20" canvases. Canvas'? Canvas? Canvy?

Some brushes and a palette knife. Ohhh! I had sooo many!!!! Still do... somewhere. :(

Over the years I've become very sensitive to chemical odors and I don't think I'd fare well with the smell of Turpentine, Turpenoid, or any of the other things associated with oil paints.

So I decided to try acrylics. I've never liked acrylics before, but I thought I'd give them a shot anyway. Maybe the texture is better now. I also bought a palette to mix the paints on.

I love a huge assortment of colors! I want them all!! But I behaved and just bought a set.

Okay... I caved and bought a few more.

I couldn't find my easel either, so I got this little inexpensive one.

Of course I had to buy a book.

I had to!!

So, wish me luck, my friends!! I'll give you an update and show you the painting in-progress and completed, in a future post.

"Peace-out, dude."

There are SO many things to love!

I love "Followers" and comments too!

(Thank you.)

Signing off for now,

gabriele

My Hand-Painted Silk Is Featured In Super Raw Life Magazine! Am I Famous Yet?

Finally!! My name in lights!!

Here's one of the pages of the magazine. That's the color-chart I painted for myself.

It helps me to decide on my color-schemes.

A corner of my studio and the art supplies - that I love!!

Trying not to use the same photos that are in the magazine,

I'll give you some of the steps of silk-painting.

New brushes!! Be still my heart!! I LOOOVE new brushes!!

To begin, I hand-washed the silk to remove the sizing.

Then the piece was hung to dry.

Next it was attached to the stretcher bars.

And the design was sketched on.

Then it was outlined with a resist.

Let the painting begin!

More painting...

And more...

And still more...

Yup. More.

The butterflies are the "Super Raw Life Magazine" logo.

This scarf was commissioned by, Michele Marie Jeppson, Editor in Chief of the magazine.

(And an all-around great gal!!)

And since she is a raw foodist -

And the magazine is about raw food (and SO much more!!) -

It was only fitting that the design should be raw food, greens, veggies and fruit.

Many, many hours later, the scarf was completed. And I was happy with the results.

(I'm my worst critic.)

After the dyes dried, the scarf was rolled between sheets of steaming paper.

Then it was steamed in a stove-top steamer, for three hours.

That makes the colors wash-fast.

After the scarf has been steamed, the colors are even brighter. Love that!

Then the excess dyes were washed-out until the water was clear.

And it was hung to dry.

The last step was ironing. (I wish everything was that easy to iron!)

And here it is - "Raw Food So Good",

14" x 70",

Crepe De Chine silk scarf.

And here is the gorgeous Michele, wearing her new scarf to the "Sundance Film Festival".

SWEET!!!!

Here is another photo of my friend, Michele, and her original scarf.

(The photo was taken by the talented, Bayli Shelton.)

Please go to this link, to get your free-download of Super Raw Life Magazine.

With your free membership you'll be able to access the current and past issues of this fabulous magazine! (I'm a big fan of free.)

That's Michele on the cover of the first issue. The girl lost... wait for it...

72 pounds in 75 days!!!! WOW!!

If you'd like to see more of my work, please take a peek at my website.

Thank you.

This is from a post about young children painting on silk.

(My little grand-brats.)

For more about silk-painting, here are some previous posts;

A special scarf for a special lady.

Going with the flow.

Thanks for your time, everyone.

Ya'll come back now, ya hear?!

There are SO many things to love!

I love "Followers" and comments too!

(Thank you.)

Signing off for now,

gabriele