Last year my god-sister, Courtney, had a baby, and her mother commissioned me to paint a portrait to celebrate the first year of Courtney’s motherhood. I had several meetings with Courtney to discuss what she wanted in terms of the mood, colors, message, theme, poses of the figures, etc. We both wanted it to successfully communicate her new family’s joy, love of one another, and love of music. My ART 325 oil painting class helped me solidify and process these ideas with collage. The resulting final composition came from using photos from Courtney’s trip from Italy last summer that reflect her family’s Italian heritage, and her and her husband’s operatic singing practice. Here are some photos of the process:
Instead of using a pre-stretch canvas, I stretched the canvas myself so I could create a unique landscape composition. The color choice reflects the Italian summer sunrise which is a very warm yellow, and which also conveniently communicates affection and timelessness. The panoramic and surrealist use of stretched space supports this sense of timelessness and further enhances a feeling of endless possibilities. This past year, the baby had her first dip in the ocean, which is represented in blue surf in the bottom left of the painting.
The painting process is just as important as the final work: I chose to do the the underpainting in the color “Terre Verte” so as to contrast with the warm orange and bright panthalo blue in the sea and sky. This is a favorite approach among landscape painters: rather than selecting the dominant color for the underpainting, in this case orange, the painter intentionally choose one that contrasts. The idea is that the underlying green can react with subsequent layers of orange and blue, adding vibration and color contrast.
If you or anyone else you know may want a commission, let me know! It’s a great opportunity to have a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork that you or your loved one will have for years to come…
MONICA HEISER 