Wedding Reception, detail, 24 x 30 o/c
In the mid 90's, I attended a friend's wedding on the Island of Malta. The setting was spectacular. The ceremony was in a lovely church in the historic city of Mdina, and the reception was held in a converted palace complete with courtyard and formal gardens. Twelve years later, I uncovered the photos I'd taken, skipped over all of the landscape and architecture shots, and as an experiment, began a pastel on canvas of the maid of honor and one of the flower girls. Pastel on canvas was not a happy experiment. I scrubbed it, came over it with acrylic, then water-miscible oils. ack. Peeled off the maid of honor's head, re-gessoed and built up the paint again. Then painted over everything with regular oils. Someday I'll be brave enough to try the architecture.
Thank you to Akiko Watanabe, who kindly sent me the Noblesse Oblige Award. Akiko's animal paintings and ACEOs are breathtaking. I spend a lot of time scrutinizing her work, and still can't figure out how she gets so much loving detail and spirit into such a small format. Please visit her site to see her extraordinary portraits of animals. Thanks, Akiko--am humbled and honored. (award details in May 17 post).
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75 comments:
Great, Liz! I thought it would be a photo! Good that you kept on.
Greetings, mi
Liz, it must have been worth all that fuss because it came out so beautifully. I love the soft underlight on her face, and the handling of the white dress is masterful.
LIZ,
forget the architecture , this piece is so fabulous...
So glad you did this . It's beautiful
The painting doesn't look a bit like scrubbed or re-done as you have described..whatever you did, evrything underneath is buried and what we see is a glowing face and a divinly white dress...Lovely!
Very sweet.
"Not a happy experiment"--hahaha.
Malta--that must've been cool. Never been there.
After all that work you've achieved an incredible painting! What an impressive piece!
Liz, this is a wonderful painting and a great study in reflected light, not to mention how well you handled white in light and shadow. LOVELY, and clearly worth all the effort. I hope the flower girl (who would be all grown up now) gets to see and appreciate it.
Faye
Wow! Liz it looks fresh, I would never have guessed so much work was done prior to completion. I love the lighting and softness of this sweet young lady's face. It's masterful!
Very beautiful and touching, much more enduring than the architecture.
Beautiful work, Liz.
wow.. wonderful.. she just glows!!
This is so wonderful! Love the way you did for the little girl's white dress and her face. It makes me want to try portrait painting.
Wow Liz, I am so excited to see this! It is truly a master class in painting shadowed skin tones, white fabric in light and shadow, and "sticktoitiveness"...wonderful!!
The bridesmaid sitting next to her adds to the narrative as well.
It looks like all your hard work was worth it - this is fabulous, Liz!
You would never think, looking at this painting, that so much was done! It looks beautiful!
Liz, have missed your posts, thanks for sharing this with us. Whatever you went through to get to this point, it was all worth it...this is just lovely!
It was kind of fun to read about the struggle. Does that makes me a little sinister--wanting an artist to tell the truth about the war we are engaged in? That is a beautiful painting..and just think, she is now a young woman. You immortalized her at this charming age--the age where they are just a little "full of beans". You won the war that you waged to get all that!
W O W ! You ROCK, Liz! I hope that I can paint almost nearly as well when I grow up. :-) I already wipe-off and scrub-off and scrape and etc. but my work doesn't turn out nearly as well. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Regards -
Ken B.
Hi Liz!
This painting is so beautiful and delicate! You are an amazing artist!
Best regards,
Carolina
Looks more like a photo to me.
It is so beautiful so perfect.
Your work is amazing!!!!
We want to see more.
I read about Karin's straggel and now yours. I must say it is so good to know that the pros are struggeling too.
Wow! You know when you have a winner of a painting when I have to take several minutes to scroll down the list of comments to jot down mine. Wonderful, fresh, endearing portrait. You must be very proud of this painting. I can only wish to do as well one day. hugs!
Very beautiful, Liz - wonderful cool shadows. Would LOVE to go to Malta some day.
Liz, I'm just speechless. This is incredible!!! Worth all the pain of the difficult beginning it went through. FanTASTic.
All of the above.
Beautiful painting.
Gorgeous portrait, great overall light Liz, are you related with Joaquín Sorolla, the famous painter?!
Best, Marco.
Thank you, Mi!
Mona, thanks. I appreciate your comments. High praise from you.
Thanks, Dominique and Arti. hugs.
Hi, Jala- Malta is a beautiful island with a rich history and super people. You'd love it. (and the light!)
Thanks for laughing :-)
Thanks Manon and Faye. I should send a jpeg to the "bride" who's now in the UK.
Thanks, Cathyann. Wonderful heritage to have!
Joan, that's a good thing. I appreciate your comments.
Thanks, Anthony, good point about the architecture!
Gary and Cindi - thank you. I appreciate your visit!
Joanna - you should definitely try portraiture.
Dana - you're the best. Thank you!
Thanks Irit - I guess struggle is part of the process at times.
(((Sheila))) thanks :-)
Thank you, Edward. You definitely should if you get the chance. Extraordinary light and lots of history.
Thanks, Camille. speechless. you?? lol. ;-) You're sweet.
Thank you, Peggy.
Marco! Goodness. Thanks for the comparison. That motivates me to try harder!
oooops. Comment slippage....
Thanks so much Kari and Lauren.
Ann - sorry I haven't been making the rounds and posting as much as I'd like lately.
Celeste! You have such a great way with words. Sinister?? you. nope. I think we painters like to hear about what goes into a piece. I know I do.
Ken! Thanks for visiting. You're so funny. And thanks for your generous comments.
Thanks, Carolina. Always good to hear from you.
From a photo and yet a painting has so much more warmth. Lovely.
Wow! I didn't realize that this image was actually a painting, not photo. It's absolutely stunning!
Liz, thanks for your kind remarks on m work. I really appreciate it.
This came out absolutely beautiful. My hat off to you. It would seem daring using that pink of the person sitting next to your subject. A distraction but it somehow lends itself to the painting.
great job.
Love this, Liz! The glow of her skin, the lighting, the highlights in her dress...all are perfect. Laughed out loud at your "peeling off the maid of honor's head" and your tell of woe in creating this, although no one would ever know because it turned out so gorgeous. Too funny!
oh, i can feel the warmth of the sun on me! if i could only capture sunlight the way you have in this painting! it is gorgeous!!!
doesn't look like a struggle from where i'm sitting liz,
ab-so-lu-te-ly gorgious!
drenched with light
beautiful painting, one would never guess the struggles that went into this, simply stunning!
I CAN'T BELIEVE . when i saw this painting the first thing that pasSed on my mind was : this is the prettiest thing i have ever seen .WELL ... if it isn't , it is among then.
it has been a long time i dont visit your blog , since then you have posted lots of beautiful things . i apreciate so much the way you paint... i forgot to be a follower , but now i am not going to forget to come here any more.
CIAU Liz .
All that work/suffering paid off with a fabulous painting.
Liz,
Every time I visit your blog I feel less worthy. Would you mind posting a clunker? Your work is fantastic!
Liz,
I agree with everything that has been said and more! I want to say that I LOVE the colors you have used. The blue you chose for the bench is just outstanding, especially against the bright and fresh greens. The pinks of the dress next to the flower girl are so rich and deep, and help to create the glow in the little girl's arms, socks and the pink in her cummerbund (Where did THAT word come from??? - my mom I think!) And then when you take the purple and place it between the blue and the pink, it just ties it all together. For me, this is a painting that would stop me in my tracks if I walked into a gallery and saw it hanging on the wall. And from me, that is about my highest compliment. :-)
She is a beautiful little girl Liz, I love the use of colour and light, especially on her dress. Paintings like this are priceless, they convey moments in time that we love to go back and relive.
Thankyou for visiting my blog pages again. I really appreciate your comments, and yes the portrait drawing at the nursing home is really rewarding , I look forwards to this each week.
Italian pink is much like yellow ochre, sort of, but more vibrant I guess. It is made by Art Spectrum. I do like it in some portraits , as it adds an outdoorsy sunny skintone . If that makes sence :)
Love your paintings!!!
Annie.
(((Thanks, Brenda)))
Akiko-thank YOU.
Thank you, Gary. I cropped in because I'm still not satisfied with the bridesmaid's head, so a bit of her pink dress is still showing. Glad to know it still balances.
Thanks for laughing, Gwen! It was very weird holding her peeled head in my hand, have to say!
Thanks, Liana for your kind comments.
Thanks, Rob! I appreciate you comments. Especially since you are a master of sunlight.
Diana- many thanks!
Goodness, thank you, Ciao. Thanks for following!
Hi, Bill - thanks for visiting! Appreciate it.
Rob H. - you are funny! Thank you.
Joanne-gosh, thank you. I really appreciate your looking so closely. I worked hard on all of those transitional areas you mentioned. Now my head's big.
Hi, Annie-Maree. Thanks for your kind comments. I love visiting your blog and seeing your portraits. Thanks for the info on Italian Pink.
You've got such a gift for capturing expressions. I love the way you handled the whole thing, from the girl's hair to the dress details to the little bit of flowers showing on the right side.
Wonderful...Liz! I thought it was a photo, there are so many details.Absolutely stunning!
You have 44 comments on this painting already but I just have to add my applause! Breathtaking! I called my husband in to look and he thinks it's wonderful too! To quote Fabio, "It's stunning!"
Liz, Wedding Reception has the feel of pastel painting. I think you did an excellent job!
Liz, this is stunning. The light is so warm and bright. I would love to see how you recreate the architecture. Maybe someday my hubby and I will visit the city of his namesake! ; )
sending many hug to you...
It has been said already and so much better than I could have said it, WELL DONE, Liz! Can I just tell you how much I just love that little swipe of light on the tip of her right shoe. I can hear her little patent leather shoes hitting the sidewalk as she swings her feet back and forth...perfect!
Liz- The little girl swimming in all of those layers of fabric reminds me of a Sargent painting- not any ONE in particular- but in general. You have captured the wonderful essence of natural light bouncing off opaque areas and shining through other translucent layers. It really doesn't feel labored- quite the opposite :>)
Wow GREAT JOB beautiful!!
Kerri- thanks for your comments.
Hi, Fabio -I appreciate your visit
Thanks, Rosemary, and thanks to your husband. That's really nice!
Hi, Doug- I guess it never lost the essence of it's first generation.
Hi, Nancy -LOL. Definitely worth a visit. You'd get the royal treatment!
Hi, Angela - you've zeroed in on one of my favorite parts of the painting--as usual!
Tom!! Good to see you out and about. ;-D I was actually thinking of Sargent's Lady Agnew when I painted the sash. Thank you so much!
Thank you, Conrad!
Fantastic! A lot of work but a great result.
saludos!
Absulutely love your work & blog. Always wonderfull to do art ,its so inspiring.
NoNo and Thea - thank you so much for visiting! I appreciate it.
Liz, this painting is simply amazing. You really show your incredible skill as an artist with this piece. I can't believe all the redos, as it looks so fresh and effortless.
Liz, Beautiful painting. I love how the flower girl is playing with her dress. Gorgeous colors and light.
Liz, thank you so much for taking your time and leaving me a message in my blog, I really appreciate your kind and comforting words. Yes, it's a very cruel disease and nobody should have to live with it - my thoughts are also with you and your mom while you all cope with the illness the best way one possibly can. Stay well.
BTW, I'm so glad you stopped by, which led me to this most wonderful art site - you are a fantastic artist, Liz. Looking forward to seeing more of your work in the coming future...
Hugs to you, Theresa
Hi Liz, I love the expression of the flower girl. I can remember moments in my childhood being dressed in finery and feeling shy and pretty at the same time, this painting detail brings backs all those memories and more :)
And you are a trooper, I usually cut and run it the painting is not going my way and try something else.
Have a good one, Liz
Hi Liz,
I can't believe I didn't comment on this. It is so perfect. I love the colour, light, the expression on the girl's face, the whole painting.
It's just fabulous.
Take care,
Barbara
Thanks for coming to my blog which led me to yours! As everyone else has commented, this is just beautiful and and tells such a story. If I had reworked this so much it would have become a Jackson Pollack abstract by now ;-)
Best of luck with your mom, too. I'm going through a bit of a time with mine as well. Connie
Liz, This is such a stunning painting, I will continue to comment about it on every site! The colors are incredible and of course, the drawing is perfect. There is something great about this one, which is evidenced by the 60+ postings! Bravo!
I keep coming back and gazing at this little girl and her dress. I don't know how you do it! What a gift!
You sure do persevere. The light playing across the fabric and reflecting onto her face is captivating.
Thanks, Vern and Karen! hugs.
Theresa, thanks for visiting, and for your kindness.
Hi, Liz, nice to meet you! I have quite a stack of failed attempts. This one became an obsession to finish!
Thanks, Barbara! Always good to see you. :-)
Connie, thank you for visiting.
Thanks Lee and Dar. I appreciate it!
Well,I'm late!So much have already been said.But better late than never!Its BEAUTIFUL!The flower girl,her dress,the colors and the treatment of light,amazing!
Ramesh! Welcome :-) Thank you and congratulations on your recent successful show!
Liz you are so incredible. Your paintings are amazing. You are a master.
Love Renee xooxox
Adding my bit at the end - she's absolutely gorgeous and it was worth going through all that angst.
Thank you, Renee and Liz!
Outstanding and well worth staying with it! Love it!!!!!
This turned out wonderful, Liz!
Love the expression on the girl's face. Perfectly posed and yet very natural looking at the same time.
You did a wonderful job capturing light here. The white of her dress almost glows in spots. Love that!
A very soft, delicate, pretty, and strong executed painting!
-Dean
Thanks so much, Dean! :-)
Jesus! It took me 2 days to scroll to the end of these comments ........... stop being so popular, at once ;-)
Love the light and airiness in this one and it's a great composition, everything just works so well.
I am so hopeless at this aren't I !!!!!
Cheers .......... Paul
Hi,
The perspective is awsome, namely the impression of distance into the farthest background and the shortened one on the child.
Kind regards,
José
You're funny, Paul!
Thanks, Jose. I appreciate you're looking so closely.
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