Wrapped in roses
 

Hi, at the request of Cynthia D., I am posting a picture of my oil painting Wrapped in Roses. It is a 20" x 28" painting of my daughter, Haley.

The times I have entered the PSA competition it has been with a painting of Haley. She must be my good luck charm! I finished the painting just in the nick of time to enter the PSA competition in Boston and to my surprise it was chosen as a finalist!

Ardith

Ardith, I can see why the judges liked this painting: it's beautifully and sensitively executed and the rose garland is a lovely and unexpected design element.

Congratulations!

I am not surprised at all.

This is some of the best rendering of values I have ever seen.

The balance between color and light values are exemplary and I hope to see many more of your paintings.

The model and pose ain

Beautiful painting Ardith! There's no suprise here at all as to why this piece was chosen. This is a lovely composition. The idea of her being wrapped in roses is a great idea. I like the harmonious coloring between the face and roses.

Congragulations!

Thanks
 

Thanks for the kind comments. I started second-guessing the roses being wrapped around her after I heard someone say that they thought the pose was too contrived. But I liked them and that's why I put them in--I thought that they added to the painting.

Ardith

Thanks for posting this, Ardie. Having seen it in real life, I can tell eveyone that it's even more beautiful in person.

Ardith,

This is one of the loveliest portraits I have ever seen and is masterful in every respect. You deserve all the attention this is generating, and all Forum artists benefit and grow by your sharing of this masterpiece.

Congratulations,
Garth

Masterful and very creative! Thanks for sharing it with us.

This portrait would have been wonderful without the roses, but with them, it is magnificent. Simply breathtaking.

Ardith, can you post closeups? And can you tell us about your working methods and your palette colors?

Ardith,
 

All I can say about this is...WOW! I LOVE THIS.

GOOD GOD! This is amazing! But personally I think a this painting deserves a more.. elegant title. :cool:

Just Lovely and poetic. Thanks for posting this. :thumbsup:

I'd like to second Linda's request for info on your methods and palette. This one deserves serious study Ardith. Just beautiful. Your love for your daughter just shines through.

Jean

Thanks for all the positive comments. I am posting a few closeups--they are a bit soft. I use the following palette:

Flake White
Ivory Black
Prussian Blue
Ult. Blue
Raw Sienna
Yellow Ochre
Cad yellow Med.
Cad Orange
Cad Red Light
Alizarin Crimson
Burnt Sienna
Raw Umber
Burnt Umber
Sap Green

It usually takes 3 layers to get things looking like I want them to. I don't glaze. I use a medium of stand oil and Gamvar. I spray in between layers with retouch varnish when needed.

Thanks again for all of your kind words.

Ardith

Oh, that looks a little weird how those pictures posted! It looks like she's got a short stubby arm! Please ignore that! I cropped these pics from a larger photo.

Ardith

Ardith,

I am very fascinated by your works. After seeing your other posts it looks as you prefer a high contrast of value. And I would like very much if you would throw some more light on your working process.

You say that you go over the painting three times. What do you weight the first, second and third time. The reason that I ask so direct is that the method of under-painting is new to me, and also that I am told to listen to the best !!!!

Hope the best, Allan

Call me confused!
 

Just lovely, Ardith

After seeing this and the other entries in Boston, what I can't understand is how that ugly black thing beat this?

Sharon,

What do you mean "ugly black thing"--please explain??? I was disappointed that I got an Honorable mention but I guess it was an honor just to have made it to the finals. I think this is the best oil I've done so far and I had great hopes for it. I would love to hear what the judges said! It would be nice if the PSA judges would jot down a few notes on each piece as they're judging and let each artist know what remarks were made about each piece. That could really help.

Allan,

I tone my canvas with thin burnt umber. I draw in thinned burnt umber directly on the canvas. I work from dark to light blocking in the darkest values, middle values and then light values. I just keep repainting each layer until I have achieved the opacity, correct values and colors that I am wanting. It usually takes three to four layers to correct all of my mistakes! I spray retouch varnish in between layers if my paint starts to look sunken in. That's about it in a nutshell...

Ardith

Ardith,

I meant the first prize winner, the lady in black with a crooked mouth. I nearly fell off my chair when I heard that had taken the top prize.

I was trying to be subtle in my comment, something rare for me.

Honorable mention still does not detract from the beauty of your painting, but I must say I was horrified by the judges decision.

Thank you for the close-ups, Ardith. They are beautiful! There are so many different areas that I really like that I can't just comment on one, the straps of her dress, the roses and vines, her eyes, shoulder, and the dress as a whole. I guess I just really love the whole thing. Oh, and her mouth!

Jean

Ardith,

Congratulations, this is a wonderfully compelling piece of art.

I am always curious about how an artist comes to a particular composition. Was the complete composition in your mind from the start, or did you progress into the roses?

I can appreciate the uniqueness of this, having a daughter myself and having posed her hundreds of times in every conceivable position. Your mind struggles with trying to do it differently somehow. You really succeeded here.

I just envisioned this painting in my head--the pose, the roses, the lighting...
I have so many paintings in my head it's frustrating because I don't have enough time to get them all on canvas. It's strange, but ideas for paintings just pop into my head. I guess my creative "mind" never rests--no wonder I'm an insomniac!

And thanks again to everyone for the positive comments.

Ardith

This is stunning! Congratulations - well-deserved!

Beautiful, entering this piece in other competitions should definitely get you better results. Good luck.

Ardith,

Please let me just ditto the comments of those above. This piece is exceptional! And so full of personality - I love that! Good for you.

I hope your daughter realizes what a treasurer this painting is after the pain of "not now, I sick of posing", ... sorry that's how it is in my humble studio!

:thumbsup: