The door and window are painted with Rembrandt Pthalo Turquoise Blue, a deep rich color I’m unable to mix with our palette. Doesn’t it look nice with the lavender posts, corbels and beams?
There is a simple rule to follow when painting steps or stairs: The upright plane is always darker than the top of the step. This is because more light hits the flat surface than the vertical one of the riser.
Using some of the paint mixes left over from the house, the low courtyard wall surrounding it is now blocked in.
White is added to the door mixture to make the gate washed by the sun. The edges of the individual boards are highlighted using a fine liner brush.
Rusty Chamisa snuggles at the base of the wall under the container filled with cheery Coreopsis. If you’d like to see any of the images larger just click on the picture.
Now the entire surface area of the irregular terra-cotta paver floor is painted, establishing the light and shadow pattern.
Perspective lines are next drawn into the wet paint.
Then the horizontal crevices between the rough tiles are indicated with a fine liner brush dipped in a mix of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin. Would you like to know more about our Double Primary Mixing System that Jack developed? Just CLICK HERE!
To paint the bottom edge of the gallery wrap canvas I usually place the painting on top of my taboret. BUT….Molly has taken it over as you can see in the background! So I grab Jack’s chair, place the top of the cardboard on the desk and rest the bottom on the seat back. All of our studio furniture is on wheels, I just roll my palette over and I can paint the underneath side of the piece. Our garbage bag is draped over an aluminum walker and clipped with utility clamps.
The bottom edge is fully covered with the shadow color.
Perspective lines continue over the edge of the canvas.
TA DA, the paver floor on the bottom surface is done. Flowers will flow over on the lower right side.
After seeing the picture of Jack and his street in one of the previous posts, some one asked if this piece is going to be called “Jack White Street”? No….but I do have a dilemma. Jack was the “Official Namer” in our family by default. I’d come up with titles such as “Red Door with Sunflowers” or “Blue Door with Pansies”. Of course he’d fall out of his chair with laughter. The last piece he named was my previous one, “The Risdall Quartet”. I guess I’m going to have to step it up now. We don’t want Jack tumbling out of Heaven because he’s laughing so hard do we? HUGS,
Mikki Senkarik 
August 17, 2016 at 10:57 PM |
Aren’t you the clever innovator!!??? Jack is smiling at that and chuckling as you struggle with naming your piece! Best to you!
August 18, 2016 at 6:23 AM |
In one of your pictures, on the table with the paint you have what looks like a milk carton with the top cut off, it looks like brushes are in it, could you please comment on that. What are your doing there?
August 18, 2016 at 9:41 AM |
Joanie,
That is a gallon water bottle with the top cut off, I put my paint thinner in it. When it gets too yucky I can let the container sit over night. The goop settles to the bottom and I can pour the clean thinner into a new water bottle. I tried using milk jugs but no matter how much I washed them they smelled awful! Hope this helps, Mikki