"Memories of Norway13" x 18"
Watercolor
Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society has a Members Show each Fall. There is no juried process to get in, though there is a juror for cash and sponsor awards. I had to file my entry form before I left for the East Coast, so I finally decided to enter my fantasy Norway piece for Alternate Realities." I had created a quarter sheet painting shown and discussed in this post. I knew it was successful when my critique group found nothing to suggest for improvements and really liked the piece. They are a very honest and helpful group of artists that I meet with once a month. However, I wanted a slightly larger piece for the show. In the process I changed the design a bit, and I am happy with this second iteration. As always, I am not great at photographing my work, so this looks a bit askew and it is really straight and true.
The earlier post has the explanation about the inspiration and process, so you might like to read that. Basically I loved the photos I took in the Viking Museum on Bydoy Island in Oslo, Norway in June. I also did a happy painting of the Sognefjord where we stayed in the tiny town of Balestrand. I used the fjord as a backdrop to the ship sailing. The Oseberg ship was a burial ship built in 800 AD. The carvings that embellish this painting were on a wagon found inside the ship. I love the animal symbols and the use of incised line. The Norse people were, and remain, great ship buildings, carvers, and sailors.
This painting is done with a complementary scheme of three colors -- Cerulean Blue, Ultramarine Blue and a Yellow Orange -- and a bit of Ultramarine Violet. I spent two days on design work and then began painting the frame first. It was night and my light source was poor, so in the morning I realized I had not replicated the deepest color. I then experimented and found that with my Quiller palette, I had taken advantage of the exact complements to grey out the Ultramarine Blue with a touch of the yellow orange. Yesterday I painted over the background again and I like the opaque quality I achieved. It sets off the Cerulean Blue and Yellow Orange pure hues.
In this painting I softened and diffused the background and really emphasized the Viking ship. I took the advice of a very successful local artist, Terri Hill, who wrote about using opposites for emphasis, such as hard against soft. Terri is a member of the society, as is Myrna Wacknov and Mike Bailey, and many other fine artists with great reputations, so I am a small fish in a big pond, and feel very lucky to learn from these artists and associate with them. It was Mike who helped me see that some of my strength comes from the family engineering gene and I like the shape and line elements.
I hope if you live in the area you will take advantage of the opportunity to see a collection of very nice work. The show is in the Rose Shenson Gallery on the grounds of the Triton Museum in Santa Clara. We will have a reception and all are invited.
Rose Shenson Gallery
Triton Museum
1505 Warburton, Avenue
Santa Clara, CA
Visit the show:
October 16 - November 13
Tuesday - Sunday, 11 - 5
Come to the reception:
Sunday, October 17
1 to 4 pm.
The earlier post has the explanation about the inspiration and process, so you might like to read that. Basically I loved the photos I took in the Viking Museum on Bydoy Island in Oslo, Norway in June. I also did a happy painting of the Sognefjord where we stayed in the tiny town of Balestrand. I used the fjord as a backdrop to the ship sailing. The Oseberg ship was a burial ship built in 800 AD. The carvings that embellish this painting were on a wagon found inside the ship. I love the animal symbols and the use of incised line. The Norse people were, and remain, great ship buildings, carvers, and sailors.
This painting is done with a complementary scheme of three colors -- Cerulean Blue, Ultramarine Blue and a Yellow Orange -- and a bit of Ultramarine Violet. I spent two days on design work and then began painting the frame first. It was night and my light source was poor, so in the morning I realized I had not replicated the deepest color. I then experimented and found that with my Quiller palette, I had taken advantage of the exact complements to grey out the Ultramarine Blue with a touch of the yellow orange. Yesterday I painted over the background again and I like the opaque quality I achieved. It sets off the Cerulean Blue and Yellow Orange pure hues.
In this painting I softened and diffused the background and really emphasized the Viking ship. I took the advice of a very successful local artist, Terri Hill, who wrote about using opposites for emphasis, such as hard against soft. Terri is a member of the society, as is Myrna Wacknov and Mike Bailey, and many other fine artists with great reputations, so I am a small fish in a big pond, and feel very lucky to learn from these artists and associate with them. It was Mike who helped me see that some of my strength comes from the family engineering gene and I like the shape and line elements.
I hope if you live in the area you will take advantage of the opportunity to see a collection of very nice work. The show is in the Rose Shenson Gallery on the grounds of the Triton Museum in Santa Clara. We will have a reception and all are invited.
Rose Shenson Gallery
Triton Museum
1505 Warburton, Avenue
Santa Clara, CA
Visit the show:
October 16 - November 13
Tuesday - Sunday, 11 - 5
Come to the reception:
Sunday, October 17
1 to 4 pm.
6 comments:
It's beautiful Mary! I really love it. Congratulations and I hope you have a wonderful show.
Thanks, Pam. Should be fun.
Mary, hope you have a good show and Ill talk to you when I get back from that beautiful city of Savannah... thanks for the visit.
Hi Mary, I like how you've worked on this idea. The combination of the Norse mythical animals with the ship and fjord works! And, I think the colors worked out nicely. It would be fun to see in person. Best wishes for the show!
Hi Mary, I like how you've worked on this idea. The combination of the Norse mythical animals with the ship and fjord works! And, I think the colors worked out nicely. It would be fun to see in person. Best wishes for the show!
Mary...this is such an interesting work. The composition is very well planned and the overall design is riveting. Using the limited palette works so well, also.
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