Monday, June 11, 2007

Work in Progress #6


Here is the latest development with my Koi fish painting...I've put a few more slight references to water reflections but not too much as it is a still day depicted and there is not much movement by the fish in the shallow water. Any more light effects would mean distortion or disruption in the form of the rocks and fish which clearly there is not. I've also put a retouch varnish over the painting. The surface is quite textured, so, I wanted to seal it so that when the final varnish is applied a nice shiny film is created and thus the varnish serves as a unifier and a sealant at the same time.

I've been taking lots of trips to the newish art shop here, getting some stretcher bar and another roll of linen to help get me through the next 24 paintings I need to do for this year at a guesstimate...I'll be needing another order of those fantastic Vasari paints before I know it!

I went to the local toy fair the other day, very disappointing, mainly toy cars...now I like toy cars but they were mostly hot rod matchbox cars! I couldn't find a D-type Jaguar anywhere, and hardly any interesting cars at all! I did get a little Astro Boy and this diecast Model 51 Ford Mercury which is quite cool.



This is for a little project I'm doing which will be exhibited in a fun group show in Melbourne in September this year. I'll post it up when its done!



Found this vintage 50's advert for the car...couldn't resist putting it up for you all to see!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you don't mind me asking Dianne, how long do you normally wait before applying a varnish? I get spooked by the little label on the varnish tin that says 'oi, wait 4 months before applying varnish or else'...

This Painting Life said...

I used a "retouch varnish" which can be applied as soon as the oil paint is touch dry. This allows the painting to continue drying until the final varnish is applied, months later.

Retouch varnish is temporary and removable or able to be worked over with oil paint.