A productive day.  We have a beautiful rose garden next to our chapel here at the CLU campus. so I shot some close up pictures yesterday as reference material for the rose in the box. In the studio this morning I worked on laying in some darker and lighter areas to give it some shape, tricky because most of it is concealed, but most necessary to make it identifiable as a rose.Â
The rock got a layer of black to darken the surface highlights and make the box pop more, then I added a hundred daisy flowers onto the ground, which will get even more treatment soon, once the cadmium and naples yellows and titanium white paint has dried. Like many newly painted things, these flowers look pretty bright right now, and the next layer of green on the ground will go over them and get wiped off, leaving a tiny amount of green in the dips of the surface that will duplicate the reflected light upon everything we see, softening the edges and bringing the flowers into their surroundings.
I added three feathers on the right side to clear the void there and draw the eye back to the aviator. They have fallen from Icarus’ wings (somehow they have transported themselves through space to float beside the aviator). They form a triangle.
The island has golden highlights on its top edge now, suggesting buildings. Â
Where’s the photo of the painting? I forgot my camera, so I’ll have to post it tomorrow. Â
Michael, there are joyful tears streaming from my eyes and blurring the words as I type. You actually took to heart my incredibly astute thought about the 3 feathers and the trilogy and put them into your painting. Feathers from MY wings, I say. But alas, it is your painting and your story after all. Mingle paint, brush and canvas and keep the dance flowing. You’re impressing me now.