Progress end day 8
Progress end day 10
Aloha! I just merged the three days together because I wanted to show more progress.
Day 8 - I worked the water, the hula skirt and top. I also glazed the skin with a mixture of burnt umber and burnt sienna. I work about 1.5 hours.
Day 9 - I work on the flesh tone bringing out more lights and dark with a mixture of white, burnt sierra, alizarin crimson and yellow ochre. For the dark shadows I add to the mentioned mixture burnt umber and a touch of whatever blue and green is on my palette. After I place the lights and darks on the body I lightly blend the edges together gently and this creates my middle values and further defines the shapes. I spent about 2 hours
Day 10 - After the skin is dry I glaze one thin layer of burnt sienna all over the body to bring the skin color in balance. I work on the flower head lei and add the long hair. I still have more work to do on the hair and lei. I also added the shadow under the hula skirt I will soften the shadow later plus work on the hands and face. I worked another hour today.
It is hard to get a good picture when the canvas is wet. And I am using a flash so it creates a glare on the canvas. I normally would take the canvas outdoors to photograph to prevent the glare and avoid the flash. However, the canvas is large 48”x48” so I leave it indoors to photograph. When this painting is done and dry, I will have it professionally photographed and that will be the last photo I upload.
I am thinking I should have this young woman looking at something in the distance. I could add to this painting a familiar landmark a distant island perhaps and maybe some whales. I spent time in Laguna Beach during the Thanksgiving holidays recently. My fiancé and our grown kids stayed at the Hotel Laguna. It is next door to Wyland’s Art Gallery and home. How lucky he is to live right on the beach! Wyland is also an artist I have long admired since high school. While I was sitting on the beach I noticed whales swimming in the distant waters and it seems they were swimming right in front of Wyland’s gallery (two different days). Some of you may have heard of Wyland, he has made a name for himself in the art world by painting the “Whaling Walls.” He has a goal to complete 100 murals by year 2011. I’m not clear if he has met his goal or how close he is to meeting this number. Year 1995 he had completed 50 murals worldwide.
I visited the gallery and purchased his book “Whale Tales - Tales from America’s Leading Marine Life Artist” copyright date is 1995. This book was an excellent read. I feel like I now know the man behind the art. It is an easy read, interesting, adventurous, and explains the struggles and politics to get his 50 Whaling Walls painted. He also writes his story with humor. Wyland collaborated with freelance writer Mark Doyle in the writing of this book: Whale Tales: Tales from America's Leading Marine Life Artist
I learned that this artist has a lot of energy to accomplish his dreams! He started his art at a young age and stayed focused. He was raised by a single mother in Detroit Michigan. He was a struggling young artist and came from humble beginnings. I love the start of the book when he describes his first blue collar jobs which he failed at miserably. I felt sorry for him and yet also found the stories funny.
When I was in high school, I first heard about this artist Wyland, and I had a small crush on him because he is handsome and talented etc. then when I got older I would sometimes wonder if Wyland was gay or straight. This is only because I never saw him pictured with a woman and I never head about him being in a relationship with anyone actually. After reading this book I discovered he is straight. He is just too busy to have any long steady relationship. This man is a hardworking, ambitious artist on a mission to bring attention to the world the need to save the whales, ocean and other sea life. I agree. We need to preserve the beauty of this planet and protect our precious forests and wilderness. We are all connected.
I also purchased his video “Wyland Artist of the Sea – hosted by Lloyd Bridges” I could not find it for sale on Amazon. However, I’m sure any of his DVDs are good and educational. I highly recommend the two items I purchased in the art gallery. They are both excellent!
Whale Tales: Tales from America's Leading Marine Life Artist
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