“Rahab” On Deck…

Now that “The Woman At The Well” is completed and at the framer’s, I cannot rest on my laurels.  Rahab is a prostitute from the Old Testament who put her faith to work to save some men of God, and in the process, saved her whole family from destruction.  Amina Antoury is again my model for this woman.  I photographed her as Rahab at the same time I had photographed her as the woman at the well.  I’m sad she won’t see the original art while she’s here over Labor Day unless we take a trip to Artistically Framed; estimated framing completion date is 9/17.  Anyway, Rahab should be interesting because I get to paint a “painted lady”, with her hair showing and some flashy jewelry and clothes.  Should be fun!  Again, it will be a stroke by stroke chronology of its creation. See additional info. at facebook: https://www.facebook.com

Framer Found!

Today, Jim and I researched framers in the area, extending all the way to Harrisonburg, VA  and Inwood, WV.  I really didn’t want to go that far afield, so we began by looking in the local area.  There were several listed in the Winchester/Stephens City vicinity.  After calling three, none of which answered and I just got a recorded message, I finally found one where a real live person answered the phone.  As if that wasn’t exciting enough for a Monday, I really liked what they had to say, so a bit later, Jim and I rode up there with “The Woman At The Well” and her accompanying lettering, my molding and filet, and I left her with Artistically Framed, LLC.  He is a one-person framer; his only other help is his partner in the business and office manager, who also is very nice.  I put a red suede mat around that girl, and I can’t wait to see her finished in mid-September, when he estimated he’ll be able to get to her in light of his current backlog, but I’m in the que, at least!  I pray this is the person God led me to, to frame His project, and anything else I might need to frame.  Right now, I’m feeling so positive and happy about finding this shop!  I bit the bullet and invested the money into museum-grade glass rather than ordinary, conservation-grade glass.  According to what I saw there, it should really make the work pop, as if there were no glass over it at all!  I was amazed!  No reflections, no glare, still 99% infrared screened out as in conservation glass, and color impacted not one little bitty iota.  There is no other glass that can do that!  I guess that’s why museums use it…

Lettering Done!

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Ah, the lettering is finished!  I have to say that it sure ain’t perfect and definitely looks hand done, but then again, back in that day, EVERYTHING was hand done, and was not perfect, including writing.  I think it does what it’s supposed to do, and all that remains now is for me to take the image and the lettering to a framer.  I wonder how it would look with a red suede mat??

Lettering Process Started!

This evening I began and finished the transferring process of the lettering pattern onto the nice, chestnut brown paper I purchased yesterday.  I thought about starting some actual lettering with ink, but then realized I needed to clean my pen nibs and the pen holder which contains a small ink well.  So, I came upstairs and plunked them into some soaking/cleaning solution I also bought yesterday.  🙂  I’m waiting until tomorrow to start the actual lettering because my arm is a little cramped–it always gets me in the elbow–and I want to rest it, so tomorrow it should be ok after a night’s rest.  I’ve learned that if I try to push through on a lettering project with a tired arm, I just tend to rush to finish, and grow sloppier and sloppier as my arm hurts more, in an effort to hurry up and finish.  After the lettering is complete, I will put some sort of gold scroll border, as yet to be designed, around the lettering to set it off.  Should be really pretty, if all turns out as envisioned.

Problem Solved…

Early this afternoon I headed out to the local Hobby Lobby and Michael’s stores.  I prefer to purchase my art supplies from online sources or a great art supply place near VCU in Richmond, but right now I don’t have the time for either of those options, and these stores filled a necessary gap.  About 3 hours later and $140 lighter, I came home with various papers, India and calligraphy inks, a pastel pencil set, and a kit containing pastel blenders, sharpeners, and other small paraphernalia for working with pastels, calligraphy markers, and metallic gold and silver markers.  Jim and I carried them all down to the studio this evening and compared the papers with the original, and I like them.  I will end up using two separate pieces of paper under one mat with separate openings for each: the image in one, and the lettering in the other, at the bottom.  I think this will really work!  As Scarlett would have said, “Tomorrow is another day!”

No Breakthrough Yet on Lettering…

I have been exploring ideas and various options for solving the lettering problem at the bottom of “The Woman At The Well”, but I have been unable to come up with a viable solution.  Somehow, there has to be a good way to get the lettering on there that looks good.  I will find it, just like I found a solution to the background dilemma, but it may take more time than I care to admit…especially since I want to DO IT NOW!  I can’t have the lettering be a deal breaker for the looks of this piece!  Ok God, You brought me to this, now please help me get through this!  It’s gotta look good for You!

Crashing…

Now that the image for “Woman At The Well” is finished, I have been crashing all day.  When I work, I run so much on adrenalin, especially when things are flowing fantastically well, that once I’m done, I can’t turn my mind off.  Consequently, I have not slept much for the last several nights.  Today, I had issues with staying awake all day long.  I am debating whether or not to take tomorrow off from painting, or just get back to the studio, tackle all that lettering, and get it out of the way…

She’s Finished!

I finished the image portion for “The Woman At The Well” tonight!  Woo-Hoo!  I LIKE HER!  I dread, however, doing all that lettering at the bottom… I have included two shots here:  one showing the incomplete water pot, just to show the work in progress, and the finished image.  I may “tweak” it some more tomorrow, after I sleep, but right now I doubt it.  I’d love some feedback!P1030948 The Woman at the Well

What A Great, Productive Day!!!

P1030930 P1030927 P1030928 P1030925I’m so excited!  I got the background fixed to my liking; “The Woman At The Well” has a face; I love her hair; her skin looks like a real person’s skin; and I gave her a scarlet head cover!  I have not painted a portrait face for over 30 years, and I never could get a good skin tone–always looked like a cadaver…but this worked!  Oh my goodness, I’ll never sleep tonight!  Can’t wait to get back to it tomorrow!  Thank You, Father!  It’s all for You, so You guided my hand!

 

 

The Break Is Over…

Well, I had company for seven days last week.  My sister was here for a visit, and it seemed we were constantly doing something or going somewhere!  We had a great time, and we took her back to her home an hour’s drive away this past Sunday afternoon.  Here it is Tuesday, and I have restored the house to order, but I still feel exhausted!  It is time, however, to go back to work…