Oil Painting Medic

This oil painting features a romanticized mountain landscape with fir trees and a lake. Ayesha Mirza has used another landscape painting as reference material. Creating an interpretation of another’s work is challenging enough, but the artist is also a beginner in oil painting. Romanticized Oil Painting’s Strengths  Alpine Landscape by Ayesha Mirza The artist has evidenced great technique in mark-making to suggest textures. This can be seen in the smooth blending of the lake; the stippling of brush to suggest the fronds of the fir trees and what appears to be the scraping on of paint via a palette knife (or similar) to suggest icy mountain peaks. These repeating textures create pleasing echoes throughout the painting. Conflicting methods of paint application is a great way of suggesting water, ice, foliage and clouds in a landscape painting. The artist has also created ever muting hues into the distance, to reinforce that sense of depth within the valley. The harsh outl...

These paintings of Mary and Jesus were intended to be a pair, but the artist has expressed dissatisfaction that they do not look like they go together. Both paintings are oil on canvas. Jesus has received a coat of Dammar varnish; Mary has yet to do so. The artist Anna Strawbridge Ziegler has faced the challenge not only of completing a double portrait, but of making them appear a pair. An Oil Painting Set of Religious Art Painting of Mary and Jesus by Anna Strawbridge Ziegler In order to make oil paintings belong together, it is a good idea to think about the light. Does the light hit the object from the same angle? Is the light of the same intensity? If one differs to the other, the pair is unlikely to appear unified. As can be seen from the two images, the quality of the light differs, and I feel this might be the reason for the artist’s dissatisfaction in making them appear to belong. Quality of Light of Religious Paintings The face of Jesus has a subdued light, sugges...

I am most excited about a book talk I will be hosting at Coventry Central Library that will be preceded by a radio interview with Phil Upton of BBC Radio. Rachel Shirley Book Talk at Coventry Central Library  Rachel Shirley Interview with BBC Radio Coventry My book talk is to take place at Coventry Library on Tuesday 8 July at 10.30am. BBC Radio Coventry will mention the event on the morning prior to the event. Rachel Shirley Talk about Paintings at Coventry  The book talk will really be in two parts, the first being about my art instruction books. I will show the audience examples of the troubleshooting guides I have been writing to help students with their creative pursuits, such as Why do My Ellipses Look Like Doughnuts? And Why do My Landscapes Look Like Cotton Wool? Original artwork will be on display for people to look at, and I will have copies of my first art instruction book published, entitled, Oil Paintings from your Garden, at only £2 each. Ra...

An oil painting with perpendicular structures such as this scene of Pompeii poses the issue of perspectives. Getting perspectives right can cause the artist to get sidetracked. Surrounding areas such as the sky could be in danger of being overlooked. This challenge was faced by Elizabeth Murray when painting this scene of Pompeii oil on canvas. About Pompeii the City  Pompeii by Elizabeth Murray: Oil on Canvas Pompeii is located near Naples in Italy. The town was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, burying its occupants within a pyoclastic flow. The town was rediscovered after 1,500 years and the buried remains preserved, creating a tourist attraction. Only a ruin remains. Perpendicular Lines of Pompeii  The painting style reminds me a little of De Chirico’s scenes in the repeating arches and shadows and the muted color of the sky, although the paint handling is softer than De Chirico’s style. Perspectives on Buildings Great handling of pers...

Painting breathtaking scenes poses one huge challenge: conveying the awe into an oil painting. How does the artist squeeze such wonder onto a small panel? This painting of sunrise over Telescope Peak in Death Valley posed just such a challenge for artist Jennifer Tuininga Kennedy.  About Telescope Peak in California  Painting of Telescope Peak, Death Valley Jennifer Tuininga Kennedy Telescope Peak at over 11,000 feet overshadows Badwater Basin, Death Valley’s lowest point. Its slopes boast the most vertical climb within the national park but will reward a view of Mount Whitney and Charleston Peak over a hundred miles away. Hence the name, Telescope Peak. The strength of this painting can be seen in how the artist has selected detail from the photograph to create a more dynamic composition. The photograph itself contains too much information without a particular focal point. A straight copy would have resulted in a muddled painting without anywhere for the eye to go....