So this is a thread for artistically talented members to show off any of their works, and if not talented, feel free to post your favorite painting or sculpture or what have you. I'm leaving them as thumbnails because they're pretty large, so click on 'em to see it better. I also apologize for the camera, I'm not that skilled with it and paintings reflect a lot of light. I put 'em under a skylight and used the flash such that it wouldn't glare too bad to try to get the best color but it still doesn't do it justice. I have others but these are the ones that were handy. All but two were done when I was younger.
I'll go first. I was always into drawing and got in to oils at ~15 or 16. The "Young Sitting Bull" was the first painting I ever executed. I'd messed around to get a feel for them but this was the first serious composition. I believe my mother has the drawing that goes with it (I always do a detailed pencil drawing prior to the painting). It's on gesso'd carboard glued to pressure board (not the best support). It took me a few months to do this one, April to June IIRC.
View attachment 6953377 Then when I went back home a year or so later I did "Okra". My grandmother had some dried okra hanging on an old, nicotine stained wall. I saw it and it made me cry a bit because I realized for the first time she wasn't gonna be around much longer. So it's sort of a tribute to her, kind of a portrait in the abstract sense if you will. She was a very kind but rugged and tough woman. Can't explain why I saw that in the okra, but I did. In this case, I have both the original drawing I did prior and the painting I executed after.
View attachment 6953379 This one is a set of 3 smaller works. The head is a copy of the drawing in "Gray's Anatomy" I did for a study in ink and ink wash; the mail box is sort of what our mailbox in NE looked like at the time and was also a small study; these two were done in the early 90's in NE. Finally, "Iris" which is just a small painting of a photo I found online. I really liked the color and the black background that made it stand out. It's my favorite flower, they come in a myriad of colors and my grandmother grew them. "Iris" was done maybe 9 years ago or so.
View attachment 6953381 The last one is one I've been working on, off and on, for the last few years. I'm not in a rush to finish it but it's nearly done. I only work on it when I really feel it. So after the next few glazes and the rest of the detail work on the face, it'll be finished and ready to varnish. It's oils on a canvas board. I wish I'd used a stretched linen, but oh well. This is Vermeer's "Lacemaker". I figured if was ever to have one hang on my wall, I'd have to do it myself.
View attachment 6953382 The next one I plan on doing is 16x20 copy of Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring". I've already got the linen prepped, stretched and gridded. I do it the old fashioned way with rabbit skin glue sizing, lead white oil ground, heavy stretcher bars and copper tacks. They sure don't make 'em like that anymore.
I've got a good deal of linen and some prepared gesso boards done the old fashioned way, and I also plan on doing a painting of the picture in my avatar. It's Mt. Rainier with a farm in the foreground. I figure after I move I'll be able to do a lot more, but I've got time on my hands and when I can't do anything due to back, feet or knees, I can paint. It's also calming. Because oils take so long to dry, I can also do multiple works simultaneously and that also keeps it from getting too pedantic or boring.
Anybody else copy famous works? It's obvious I'm a Vermeer fanboy. I travelled to Holland just to see his paintings up close.
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