When Jack Becomes Art

18x24"

Oil on canvas

Click to buy now

I was originally going to do this as a small painting but thought it would be more impressive as a larger piece. 

Detail 1

 

Painting reflective and translucent surfaces are always a challenge because of the distortions and warped imagery they produce.  Painting chrome is another one. 

 

Detail 2

 

  I like painting these types of surfaces. 

 

Detail 3

 

This painting took some time to do because I had to break down my studio at two different times to have our wooden floors replaced due to a moisture problem which caused a lot of damage.

 

Detail 4

 But I finally got it done!

 

 

Background laid in.

 

When I started this painting I washed in a raw sienna ground for the base over my penciled rough.

3/4's there.

 

This painting was at a good size so I had to do a lot of rotating while using a maul for support.

 

Working on the last 4th.

 

Here I'm working on the final stages.

 

 

Quick Studies in Oils and Acrylics

The Yard #1
3.3/8"x5"
Acrylic on illustration board

 This was painted one lazy afternoon while lounging in my backyard.  I've always loved painting in acrylics because of its fast drying and setup qualities.  Doing quick sketch studies with this medium is great because you can throw down a wash or value setting and then lay an opaque layer on top and go from there.  It’s been a long time since I last used acrylics and had to re-acquaint myself to the value shifts between wet and dry colours.  I did this one on a scrape piece of illustration board that I cut up into smaller pieces for this purpose some time ago.  I will definitely be doing a lot more of these in the time to come as I think this is a good exercise for the 'o hand, eye and brain noodle-thingy-communication.

Bowl of Bangles
5x7"
Oil on canvas panel

On that same note of doing quick studies and getting loose and all, I did this one in oil using my new pochade case; getting away from my cigar paint box setup and comfort zone.  Time to get “old school” and tap into that once familiar “vein” of creativity and discovery and play around with the medium.  This painting is of an old hollowed out decorative coconut shell that my wife is currently using as some sort of holder for her bangles.  Nice!

Blondie

8x10"

Oil on canvas

I’ve been staring at this drawing for about six or seven months and finally got around to painting it.  Blondie passed in June of 2012 leaving a pretty big hole in our hearts.  I was trying to figure out how to render the background.  Either I render it as a detailed backdrop or a vignette of some sort. 

 

Detail

Then I saw a figurative painting in which an artist used a palette knife to lay in the background and I had my “a-ha“ moment.  So here it is and I’m happy with the outcome.

The initial pencil drawing with several coats of spray fixative.

This time around I did a Burnt Siena acrylic wash to set up my under painting.

A mixture of turps and burnt Umber were scrubbed into the canvas and then wiped off with a paper towel.

Using a palette knife I painted in the background.

Here I started in setting up my shadows and at this stage painting in Blondie’s face.

Laying in color to her torso and legs.

Adding some finishing touches and details.

White Rose

5x7"
Oil on canvas panel
Click to see auction or bid

 I played around with the lighting on this one a bit to capture its essence.  Because it was already in a state of wilting and losing petals I wanted to catch what translucency it still had before totally drying out and falling apart. 

Detail

We have several rose bushes in our front and side gardens and this one was begging to be the subject given the fact that most of the roses weren’t in bloom.

MauriceMorganStudio on Etsy

I finally got my Etsy.com store up and running.  Quite a few pages to render information on.  I guess I'll eventually beef it up over time.  Right now it's all about painting.

Featured Artwork

Just a note, today my "Relic The Profile" was featured on the Images That Excite You group page over at Fine Art America.com.  Thank you to John Bailey.

Relic The Profile

12x16"

oil on canvas
Click to buy now

The first time I saw the bust of this Indian head I’ve wanted to paint a portrait of it.  It was an artifact a friend of mine had in his home.   

Detail 1

A piece he brought back from one of his many trips, over the years, to India.  I was able to sit in and do a few studies of it, as well as, take a few photos for further reference to use later. 

Detail 2

 I started the under painting late on Friday evening after I finished my Pencil work. 

Here’s the final pencil sketch in all of its glory.

Here it is getting the full mud treatment of burnt umber and turps…

Sorry "stupid-phone" shot 1

Nice and swirly…

Sorry "stupid-phone" shot 2

Evened out …

Sorry "stupid -phone" shot 3

 

Initial Rub out ala “Flemish”…

Sorry "stupid-phone" shot 4

Working on the final color stage.