Childhood Memories

I thought my next painting was going to be one of the pieces for my Collector Event in Santa Fe but I got a surprise commission to do. This will be for a birthday that is quickly approaching so I better go ahead and work it in first. Matt asked me to paint his mother’s childhood home, pictured above, for her present.

Her mother’s prized azaleas were the envy of everyone in the neighborhood, we definitely want to show them in full bloom. Matt’s mom also loves Zinnias, Gardenias and any type of yellow flower. He also asked me to show a few birds flying in the sky with some soft clouds.

So here is the sketch. Taking some artistic license I’ve done a little landscaping in the front yard. Yellow Daisies border the driveway and a bed of Zinnias will be planted to the right of the Azaleas. To see any of these images larger just click on the picture.

I draw the basic elements on the canvas with a brush dipped in a thin oil wash of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin. Drawing the house I brace my wrist on a Mahl stick that hooks over the top of my easel. This keeps my hand steady so I can delineate the details. It is important to take the time to get all of the proportions correct in this step. It is much easier to make changes now than to wait until later.

The basic sketch is complete and I will begin painting tomorrow. This is going to be fun. Hope you will come visit our studio and follow along. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik

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