Fama Finished Redux

I picked up Fama from Rich’s home this morning, where it had been tucked away after a show last month when I was unable to pick it up myself. Once I got to the studio I put it on an easel next to the Aviator’s Dream and noticed a distinct lack of background in the painting in comparison to the other painting, so I immediately set to it with a black glaze emphasizing the shadows of the two people, created a seascape with an island, then added some nice long shadows falling from the megaliths and deepening the shadow on the right.

 

I’m just delighted with this. Emphasizing the contrast made so much difference to the piece. Mike Adams came in while I was singing along to David Bowie, I think I was doing a very bad electric guitar imitation at the time. We got to eat lunch together and talk about painting.

 

Here’s the painting as it was when I picked it up this morning. What a difference a day makes!  

While I was at it I lightened the sky of the Aviator’s Dream with a glaze of Zinc White because I didn’t like the way Daedalus’ wings were dropping out into the background. I added some shadows which have brought the ground to life, giving me deep darks that contrast nicely with the Cadmium Yellow and Red iron Oxide highlights that I have scraped onto the sides of the rocks with a pallette knife. 

This was a good day in the studio. Picasso once said “Inspiration does exist, but it must find us working.”

 

Here’s the Aviator’s Dream as I left it this afternoon. I’m increasingly dissatisfied with Amelia’s face, it’s really not vibrant enough, and there are some odd measurement issues that I’d like to resolve. I’m happy to have dropped the ivy back with a black glaze. Since this seems to be the day for art quotes, I thoroughly agree with the Rococo painter Boucher, who said “the world is too green and badly lit”.