The triumph of black over titanium white final... Mustering some intestinal fortitude!

After finishing painting the master bedroom with the "muse", I was ready for the grand finale with this painting project...

Needless to say, it's with a bit of anxiety that I poured some titanium white over this project... to connect once and for all with the title of the painting. I will submit this work to the upcoming Montreal art contest.

Note: Under normal circumstances, I would have subjected the white to the ambient pinkish light in this picture. I decided to tip the scale towards a failed extraneous attempt of a white pour at spoiling black, in this case a black beauty. I leave everything else to interpretation.

The triumph of black over titanium white - step III... Still trying to feel my way with fluo pink!

Pressed with time, another quick pass today led to this version...

... as I'm still experimenting with technique in an attempt to leverage fluo pink. In a way, this is going back to the techniques that I used 3 years ago, but with a different outlook and more experience.

Note to self: "More than ever, I want to use paint to speak up my mind!"

The triumph of black over titanium white - step II... Dragging my new "raw canvas" ways into this work!

This week, we are initiating a major renovation project in the master bedroom... so it looks like this painting will be finished in 30 minute spurts. I did a quick second pass this evening...

... rubbing paint instead of brushing it in a clear cut fashion. Ironically, I'm using zinc white with this one, at least for now. I don't want to obliterate the fluo pink underpainting completely.

It's still glowing... so far so good!

The triumph of black over titanium white - step I... Back to experimentation!

The other day, I bought stretched canvases from another supplier thinking that I could use them for giclée prints. It was not the case, so I have no choice but to paint on them. The surface is really smooth with virtually no textures on it, almost like hot pressed watercolor paper. It could be ideal for the continuation of my series with metallic paint. On the other hand, I' m tempted by another type of experiment today...

... using fluo pink as the foundation for this new work. I've been a stainer more than a painter lately, so I want to see the impact of such an underpainting using somewhat of a glazing approach...

... looks like I'm on familiar ground, i.e., facing the same challenge as retaining iridescence or leveraging a background color!
 
Note: This is a 22 X 28 canvas and I want this painting to join my "Smoke and mirrors" series...

Hacienda Dominicus final... Favouring transparency over opacity!

I kinda like watercolor effects on this type of canvas so, despite my initial intentions, I couldn't resist listening to what the surface had to say...

This is pretty much what I have to say about this subject using the techniques that I have developed thus far for rendering the human form. Before varnishing, I may add some reflections from the sky here and there for uniformity...

Hacienda Dominicus - close to final... One pass short!

I'm not a landscape painter, so after this 3rd pass, there is still a need for some value adjustments here and there... particularly highlights, dark accents, the sky (needs to be lighter) and the pond water (needs to be darker than the sky)...

 ... and opportunity to move around some thicker "honey-like" paint using a self leveling medium.

Hacienda Dominicus - step II... Slowly gravitating towards higher contrasts!

During this second pass on raw cotton/linen canvas, I decided to apply thicker paint with the brush as opposed to the palette knife...

I feel comfortable that I can manage this one in three color passes flat. This is my first landscape on raw cotton/linen, a more absorbent surface than regular raw cotton (regular cotton is characterized by a tighter knit).

Note: The relative difficulty in rendering details on such a surface does not pose a problem since I want this image to be somewhat dream-like.

Hacienda Dominicus - step I... Trying to see the patterns!

Today, I toggled back and forth between working in the garden (I'm a bit optimistic, it was minus 3 Celsius!)  and painting. For this painting, I decided to still go with raw canvas for a different look...

After staining the canvas with thin paint, paint application with the palette knife is next! This is a 22 X 28 canvas...

La Romana... a memorable stay in paradise!

We're back to Montreal after a memorable vacation. This part of the Dominican Republic definitely has a lot to offer. In particular, we enjoyed our visit to Saona Island, a paradise on earth which, to this day,  remains relatively untouched by man...

The main objective for this this trip was to attend my niece's wedding. I take this opportunity to wish the newly weds much happiness and prosperity in their new life together. I found the lush gardens at the hotel quite inspiring... so I feel like expressing artistically my appreciation to the newly weds by offering them a painting of what caught my attention there... gotta stretch a piece canvas!

Note to self: "The Muse in the center left looks like she could inspire a painting for my new "Smoke and mirrors" series... I'll let it simmer for a while!"

Vanishing point final... Paint at the service of semantics!

The final pass led to a number of adjustments which brought me closer to the ideal I had in mind...

 I'm conscious that, with this new trend, my subjects may become subservient to my "smart ass" titles... but life is too short not to have some fun!
Note: I had to shoot this one inside with a flash because of bad weather... so colors are a little off.

This is my last kick at the can before leaving for a one week vacation in La Romana...

Looking at my painting and the colors in the above photo, it looks like I've been thinking about this place for a while... after such a long winter! Gotta polish my Spanish...

Vanishing point - step II... Definitely on the experimental mode!

I did a quick second pass this afternoon, still modulating colors in an attempt to get closer to a "final product"...

The next step is to readjust proportions (especially lower legs and arms). Taking on a painting subject that forces me to go beyond my usual level of comfort invariably leads me to utter confusion and bold improvisation. Although the outcome may not be successful, there are always keys learnings emanating from such exercises!

Vanishing point - step I... Unleashing the clown in me!

Getting ready to leave next week for a one-weeker down South, I decided to hastily paste a piece of raw cotton/linen on masonite and go at it with gusto with a subject matter with some pizzazz...

I may find out that I really need a vacation after this one...

Note to self: "For some reason, I feel like I can work with more freedom on a duct taped canvas than on a stretched one... something I should capitalize on more often... to trick my mind into getting to the next level quicker!"