Monday, March 3, 2014

Botticelli WIP


I finished up a couple of pages in my fabric/plaster journal this weekend, before attempting to dig into Botticelli in the Studying Under the Masters class that I'm taking online.


This woman started out as an image transfer, although she got completely painted over.





The Tuscan countryside scene out the window below was also an image transfer, and I painted the window over it.  


I like how it looks like Kate the Great (from my last post) is looking out the window.



Now, this scary looking picture on the right is a WIP, rest assured!  I've been watching the Botticelli week with Jenny Wentworth, and apparently Botticelli used to paint his backgrounds first.  So Jenny painted her background black and did her initial sketching with white charcoal, so I decided to try it too, although mine is on a piece of linen with plaster over it.  It was definitely different, to just not be drawing the areas that are dark.  Not sure exactly where I'm going with this, but I have really enjoyed reading about him and looking at his paintings this week.  I'm a total sucker for Italian Renaissance paintings - I've been to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and seen some of his paintings, and the Sistine Chapel,  but it was such an overwhelming experience that it's kind of a blur now.


6 comments:

  1. I love all the details and textures in your first piece - it has such a warm feeling to it.

    I like that Kate the Great has a view.

    I don't think your sketch is at all scary - I think it is amazing already!

    I'm so glad you are doing this class so I can see what you get up too:)

    Karen x

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  2. I'm loving your fabric/plaster journal, the textures look amazing!

    Your Botticelli face is beautiful; how interesting that he painted the backgrounds first, I didn't know about that. What paint are you going to use, acrylics?

    I know what you mean about being overwhelmed by artwork. I nearly always (when funds permit) buy catalogues from the art shows I go to - just so that I can look though it and remind myself. The pictures are never as good as the flesh, but having seen then in the flesh I can often bring that to mind just by looking at the book.

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  3. Wow, your course sounds amazing - I love your collage, what a fantastic face, and I love the way you use collage bits and pieces - perfectly! The window is beautifully rustic, and the plaster is a perfect base to give it that look! I may be on my own with this but I think the drawing you've done on black is exquisite and I wouldn't do another thing to it - I would hang that on my wall just as it is. Thanks so much for visiting earlier - my back is much improved and I can't believe how pleased I was to be able to do housework again!

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  4. love your image transfer piece, I saw the birth of venus last feb at the uffitzi and I don't think I have ever seen anything more beautiful! It is so much bigger than I imagined and the gorgeous pastel colours are unlike anything I had ever seen before, I think its the tempura that gives the paint that chalky look, but I was entranced. Thank you for helping me remember such a magical time!

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  5. Terri, these are beautiful! This is great use of layers and I love your Kate. I'm in the Masters course, also, but I have not done one thing! not one! I hope to be getting to it soon. After a trip, and then do it. anyway, good work!

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  6. That is TOO cool! I love the black and white - and imagine how different it must be to sketch / shade in the opposite colors that you normally would use. Can't wait to see what comes of this! Lovely pieces above too - love the transfer and all the special textural details! xoxo

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