The first is an oil painting on canvas of poppies. 3' x 3' x 3" deep. Standard poppies have a dark center, but I took the liberty of brightening up the middle to make the overall image brighter. The underpainting is a cool blue color scheme which can be seen around the edges of the flower petals.
The next painting is a framed 6' x 4' x 2" deep oil painting on acrylic, on canvas. I usually paint the under painting in acrylic because it allows me to paint the complete image with very little drying time. After the base image is laid down, I choose to use oil paint because it is much more forgiving thanks to its long drying time. Another benefit of the slow drying time is that oil paint is much more easy to blend to create custom colors. Often times when one artist looks at the work of another artist, we can almost immediately tell when colors have been mixed or used straight from the tube.
The image of a mountain scene in the fall was painted from a photograph, but the rays of light were my own personal addition. I believe is activates the space and draws the eye to move around. The sun is certainly in a nontraditional location as far as focal points go, but it works and I am proud of it.
My favorite part of the painting is the top section where the light is coming through the leaves.
The next painting is a framed 6' x 4' x 2" deep oil painting on acrylic, on canvas. I usually paint the under painting in acrylic because it allows me to paint the complete image with very little drying time. After the base image is laid down, I choose to use oil paint because it is much more forgiving thanks to its long drying time. Another benefit of the slow drying time is that oil paint is much more easy to blend to create custom colors. Often times when one artist looks at the work of another artist, we can almost immediately tell when colors have been mixed or used straight from the tube.
The image of a mountain scene in the fall was painted from a photograph, but the rays of light were my own personal addition. I believe is activates the space and draws the eye to move around. The sun is certainly in a nontraditional location as far as focal points go, but it works and I am proud of it.
My favorite part of the painting is the top section where the light is coming through the leaves.
In the same house as the Poppy painting, two other paintings of mine hang. When the owners saw the painting of mine which hangs in the Starbucks at East blvd. in Charlotte. They wanted their own version. This painting was my first attempt at painting light through branches and leaves. Mondrian's paintings focused on the negative space (the space in-between the lines) especially in his earlier landscapes. Seeing his work helped me to see my own in a different light.
Thank you for reading!
Sincerely,
Stephen Lursen
7/30/2012
