Creating a Painting and Video

Several weeks of work was distilled into this six minute video. I wanted to share the process of building up paint into an image using light, contrast and texture in creating the artwork.

Beginning with a freshly primed canvas, I under painted the general shapes, and light and dark areas with many layers of watered down acrylic paint. The thin washes of color puddle; dry and build texture as I alternate layers of warm and cool color. As the major components are developed, brushwork is added to emphasize the direction of light and shadow. Coats of acrylic gloss medium were used between thin washes to stabilize the paint and deepen the glow of the color.

While finishing the painting I also completed one of my goals for 2014 in creating a video; I used the Windows Movie Maker software to cobble still photographs and footage. The software was intuitive and easy to use, after some trial and error I was able to piece together the elements. In the process of creating the video, I became strongly attached to the painting I had just completed; however it was a commissioned artwork that was going to a home and it left the studio shortly after for Wallace Galleries who kindly organized the project.

Creating both the painting and video was a real treat for me as I had the experience of working in the large scale while taking time to document the process. I also wanted to create something unique for the person who commissioned the work and share what happens behind the scenes at the studio.