Aspen Show

“The Myth of the West” finished piece
30×40″ oil on canvas

“The Myth of the West” underpainting

Here are a couple images of the same painting: the first is the completed piece and the second is the underpainting. All my work begins with a technicolored underpainting; I let some of that layer and each consecutive layer show through to add interest to the piece. The underpainting is necessary to establish the composition, begin the values, and set the overall tone for the piece–I find if I don’t have a firm underpainting it isn’t much worth pursuing the rest! Sometimes the underpainting is the most interesting thing about the piece and I wish I could leave it there, but so far I have more to say than that. What can I say, I’m a chatty person.

So Aspen is right around the corner–we’re going up there on Halloween to hang the show and it opens on November 1st. This is one of the new pieces for the show–I have a few others I’ll try and post soon; one of them is not finished yet so it may not make the show. Now I have a bunch of framing and varnishing and all the work that goes into getting ready for a show: so, of course, all I want to do is paint! Oh well, I should have time for that soon.

Come up to Aspen in November if you have a chance–should be a great show!

Dawn