Itty, Bitty Buildings

My first step today is to add waves crashing against the rocks at the base of the bluff, far below the domed Churches. A bit of Ultramarine Blue is added to the White to make it recede into the distance. Pure Whites will be reserved for the brightest highlights on the Churches. Please remember, you may click on any image to see an enlargement.

Let’s get to work on those Itty Bitty Buildings tumbling down the hillside. Here’s my reference picture.

The jumble of multihued structures are first blocked in with several different colors. I use combinations, in different proportions, of White + MUD, White + Ultramarine Blue, White + MUD + Cadmium Orange + Ultramarine Blue and White + MUD + Cadmium Orange + Alizarin Crimson. The different mixes are applied randomly, I’m not worried about duplicating my reference picture exactly. I use the shapes of the various blocks of colors to begin delineating the individual buildings.

As the buildings begin to emerge from the mish-mash of color, the details of windows, palms and bougainvilleas are added.

The distinctive Church Domes are painted with several shades of Cobalt Blue + a touch of Pthalo Blue + White.

If you will look closely at a white building in the bright sunlight, you’ll find that it’s not all just pure white. There are lots of subtle grays in the lighter parts. Two of the sides that we see, of the base of the Dome, are illuminated by the sun. The panel on the left is directly hit by sunshine, therefore it’s brighter. The flat part of the building facing us is lit, just not as brightly. So I make several mixes of White + MUD, White + MUD + a tiny bit of Cadmium Orange, White + Ultramarine Blue and White + Ultramarine Blue + MUD. Darker shades of the same mixes are used for the shadows.

The windows, as well as the crisscross panels in them, are painted with the same mixes used for the Dome. My wrist is braced against a Mahl Stick hooked over the top of my easel, steadying my hand as I make the fine details. What is a Mahl Stick? CLICK HERE to find out!

The closest Church is painted next.

Churches DONE! We’re ready to do some planting.

I’ve been patiently waiting to bring in a POP of color and now’s the time! The Bougainvillea hugging the wall that lines the stairs descending the hillside is painted with mixtures of Permanent Rose + Magenta + White.

The intense hue of the Bougainvillea is already giving depth to the painting. And we’ve only just begun! Come back soon and see the transformation as more bright flowers are planted. With Big Hugs,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2023

www.Senkarik.com

Painting the Sky and Aegean Sea

Let’s get to painting. We’ll begin with the sky since it’s the source of light and influences the mood of the painting. We’re making this a brilliant summer day, with billowy clouds floating lazily across the vault of blue overhead. The recipes for my paint mixtures are: #1. White + Pthalo Blue. #2. White + Pthalo Blue + Ultramarine Blue. #3. White + Ultramarine Blue. #4. White + a tiny bit of Cadmium Orange + a touch of Ultramarine Blue. #5. White + MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson). #6. MUD + Ultramarine Blue + White. Please remember as you read through my blog, you may click on any image to view an enlargement.

The blue field of the sky is painted first, leaving white patches to indicate where the clouds will be. The sun shines into the scene from left to right. So the left portion of the blue is made with Mix #1. Moving to the right the blue is made progressively darker using mixes #2 and #3. I work carefully around the leaves of the Grape Vine on the left that was washed in during the previous session.

The shadow portions of the fluffy clouds are painted with mixture #5. The lightest mix, #4, is used for the sunlit portions. The horizon line of the Aegean Sea has been made with the #6 combination.

Our summer sky is complete, come watch as I paint the Aegean Sea in the VIDEO below!

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Aegean Sea

Now for the distinctive bluffs in the background. Another technique used to give the feeling of depth in a painting is to make distant objects cooler, or bluer, and lighter. So the small island, farthest away is made with a mix of White + Ultramarine Blue + MUD + a little bit of Cadmium Orange. The same combinations, in different proportions, that become progressively darker and warmer as we move forward, are used on the rocky bluffs. Their edges and bases are darkened with a mixture of MUD + Liquin.

A mix of White + a bit of Ultramarine Blue is used to indicate the surf crashing against the base of the bluffs. Mist from the waves drifts up between the bluffs.

Next, some of the color from the rocky outcroppings is brought down into the water to give the impression of their reflections.

We’re done for this session. I appreciate you visiting my studio and following along. Do come back and please, always feel free to ask questions in the comments section. Have a blessed day!

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2023

www.Senkarik.com

Come With Me to Santorini!

We’re going to the Greek Islands for my next painting. This piece will be displayed in the home of one of my collectors who has a few more of my paintings of Santorini that we’ve collaborated on. Here’s the sketch for the panorama, looking out from the village of Oia. You may click on any image to see it larger.

This post shows several days of work. The process begins by sketching the basic plan up on the canvas with an Oil Wash of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin Original. A Tee Square, balanced on the top of the canvas, is used to make the upright lines.

Jillions of steps meander down the steep hillsides.

Taping my reference pictures to the canvas makes it easy to refer to them as I begin drawing the picturesque, cobalt blue domes.

The red arrow shows the vanishing point that I’ve established on the horizon line to determine the perspective for the closest dome. Then a straight edge is used to make the lines that connect from the base of the Dome to the vanishing point. I’ve only drawn the potion of the line that is at the building. This makes sure all angles of the structure’s perspective are correct.

Sometimes the best laid plans just don’t work out. When I came into my studio the next morning, I felt the church domes were just too big. The initial oil wash sketch had dried overnight, so I paint over it with Alkyd White. Alkyd is compatible with oils and can be safely intermingled with them. I couldn’t do this with Acrylic. Starting with the most distant dome, I make it smaller.

The original sketch is vaguely visible, you can see the difference in the sizes of the church domes.

Decreasing the size of the Domes gives the painting more depth, as well as increasing the feeling of height and distance. Now the jumble of buildings on the distance bluff are indicated.

The distinctive bluffs in the distance provide a nice dark to accentuate the white stucco buildings of Santorini.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION:

Come watch as I wash in the Grape Vine cascading over the building in the foreground.

The terra cotta flower pots sitting on the wall are washed in with the MUD oil wash. While they are still wet I use a clean brush, dipped in Odorless Paint Thinner, to “erase” the dark wash. This allows me to make the shapes of heart shaped leaves of the Sweet Potato Vine tumbling out of the containers.

More steps allow the viewer another opportunity to visually walk down the slope to the churches below.

WHEW! Lots of perspective in this piece. I think I’ve got it all correct. The nice thing is, I can always make adjustments if needed. The Flowers are labeled and we’re ready to begin painting in our next session. I do hope you’ll come follow along!

I’d like to invite you to subscribe to my blog, you’ll receive an email every time I publish a new post. CLICK THIS LINK and scroll to the upper right side of the page. You will see a heading EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS. Just click the button “Sign me up!”  It’s easy. Please keep in mind, to move through the blog when you get the posts, just CLICK on the small titles at the top of the page. The one on the right for the next post or the title on the left side for the previous session.

I appreciate you subscribing to my blog! And please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Videos! With Big Hugs,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2023

www.Senkarik.com

Climbing High through the Cross

CLIMBING HIGH THROUGH THE CROSS was painted for my Church’s school, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran School. The Team name is the RAMS. So I designed the painting based on Habakkuk 3:19,

“The Sovereign LORD is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer (RAM), He enables me to tread on the heights.”

Watch the video progression of “Climbing High Through the Cross”.

I donated the painting to our School in honor of Tim and Debbie Eickstead. Both have recently retired and a big celebration was held on Sunday evening. They have served at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church and School for over 42 years. Tim as School Principal and Teacher, then as Director of Operations for our Church. To say Tim did whatever was needed to be done is an understatement. Debbie served as Teacher and Church Secretary; she also started our Mother’s Day Out program as well as filling many other roles.

A BIG Thank You to Andrea Pfaff Sperl for this photo and the following one!

Tim and Debbie have been such inspiring role models and examples showing that “Our Strength to Climb to the Heights comes through ALL that Jesus did for Us on the Cross.” The painting was dedicated in their honor and I made a smaller Giclee of it for them to display in their home.

Wish you could have been there to hear all the wonderful stories about this special couple.

WELL DONE, Good and Faithful Servants!

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2023

www.Senkarik.com

PORTOFINO REFLECTIONS – Special Touches

As I had mentioned in my previous post, the scuba tanks were too large. So I’m reducing the size. Sent a quick image to my collector to make sure and he responded that they were just right. Please remember, as you read through my blog, you may click on any image to see an enlargement.

Now I’m adding the snorkel and mask. Kathy’s are bright Pink so a mixture of Permanent Rose + White is used to personalize them.

When beginning our collaboration I asked Bill if he and Kathy had a favorite wine? He said they really enjoyed the Italian Wine, Cecchi Chianti DODG. Google is wonderful, I found a picture to refer to in order to repaint the label especially for them.

The white Lilies are repainted with the flowers extended over the edge and onto the side of the Gallery Wrap canvas.

Tall Hollyhocks are also repainted with mixes of Permanent Rose + White and Permanent Rose + Cadmium Red Light + White. Lemon Yellow accentuates the velvety Stamens.

Mixes of Cadmium Yellow Medium + Cadmium Orange + MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson), Cadmium Yellow Medium and Lemon Yellow are applied in thickly textured brushstrokes to delineate the petals of the Cheery Sunflowers. The dark centers are then added with MUD and some of the darker yellow mix.

The same yellow mixes are used for the Begonia l’Conia Portofino flowers my collectors asked me to include in their painting. I decided to tuck a cluster in the Petunia Pot on the wall. Again, Google came to the rescue to provide reference pictures.

Trumpet Vine turns into a cascade of Bougainvillea. I have to stand on a small step stool to paint the top edge of the Gallery Wrap canvas. This is about as high up on a ladder as I prefer to get. Oh, I was asked what size this piece is? The canvas is 27 inches tall by 40 inches wide.

The Bougainvillea is mixes of Magenta + White and Magenta + Permanent Rose + White. A few pops of the Orange from the Trumpet Vine are allowed to peek through, giving warmth to the colorful vine. This helps to make it come forward of all the cooler hues in the background, increasing the feeling of depth in the painting.

It’s always fun adding a few extra, surprise touches to my collector’s paintings. Thought it would be cool to place their initials in a heart on one of the flower pots.

Bill and Kathy were married in 1992, so what better than to make this the vintage of their favorite wine.

The LIMITED ORIGINAL embellished Giclee on Canvas of PORTOFINO REFLECTIONS is complete!

Now you may compare the changes in the BEFORE and AFTER images above! I appreciate you visiting my studio and following along. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have in the comments section below. With Big Hugs,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2023

www.Senkarik.com

Glazing a LIMITED ORIGINAL Giclee of Portofino, Italy

Today I’m beginning to embellish a Limited Original Giclee on Canvas of my Oil Painting PORTOFINO REFLECTIONS. The unembellished art is shown above. Please keep in mind as you read through my blog, you may click on any image to see it larger.

The process starts by painting over some areas of the Giclee with thin Glazes or Washes of Oil Paint + Liquin Original (#1). Here are the recipes for the glazes on the Portofino Harbor: #2. Cobalt Blue + Liquin Original. This mix is also used to glaze the blue portion of the sky. #3. Ultramarine Blue + Liquin Original. #4. Pthalo Blue + Liquin Original.

Come watch some of the Glazing Process!

Glazing the sky and background is now complete. Comparing the picture above to the first image in this post, you can see how the glazes have enhanced the colors, making them richer and more intense.

The cobblestones and terra cotta flower pots are glazed with a mix of Burnt Sienna + Liquin Original, intensifying the warmth of the terrace.

The darks along the edges of the roofs, as well as the posts lining the pier and tall flag pole, are accentuated with a mix of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin Original. My wrist is braced against my mahl stick that is hooked over the top of my easel. This steadies my hand as I delineate the details. WHAT IS A MAHL STICK? CLICK HERE to find out!

My collectors are scuba enthusiasts, they’ve asked me to include some of their equipment in their painting. I’ve taped my reference picture to part of the Giclee that has not been glazed. The boat moored by the foreground terrace is the perfect spot to put the tanks, ready for a quick getaway to go dive.

After drawing the Mask and Snorkel, the Tanks are covered with a thin oil wash of White + Liquin Original.

Shutters and Doors on the brightly colored buildings in the background are repainted with Viridian Green. Next, the Flags dancing in the gentle sea breeze and the Awnings shading the walk along the pier are highlighted with a mix of White + Ultramarine Blue.

Moving to the elegant sailboats in the harbor, their colorful hulls and crisp white sails are repainted.

The distant portion of the harbor is complete, I’ll begin painting on the closest boats and foreground in our next session. Since I’ve NEVER done any scuba diving I sent an image to my collector, asking if the scuba tanks were the right size. He replied very kindly and said they need to be about one half that size. What I don’t know certainly shows! SO, I’ll make that correction as work continues. Hope you’ll come back to my studio and follow along.

I’d like to invite you to subscribe to my blog, you’ll receive an email every time I publish a new post. CLICK THIS LINK and scroll to the upper right side of the page. You will see a heading EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS. Just click the button “Sign me up!”  It’s easy. Please keep in mind, to move through the blog when you get the posts, just CLICK on the small titles at the top of the page. The one on the right for the next post or the title on the left side for the previous session.

I appreciate you subscribing to my blog! And please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Videos! With Big Hugs,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2023

www.Senkarik.com

WOW! 2023, A NEW YEAR!!!!

Instead of making “Resolutions” to begin the New Year, Jack and I would renew our commitment to follow this daily recipe. Thank Our Lord for the wonderful blessings He has bestowed upon us, squeeze as much as we can out of each moment, greet everyone with a Big Smile, treat ALL with kindness and tell those who are important to us that we love them. I continue to do this, I want to make the most of this gift of the Present, God has blessed us with.

I also want to start 2023 by letting you know how I appreciate all of you reading my blog, Jack’s articles and his Books. As we Texans say, MUCH OBLIGED! May Our Lord be the wind beneath your wings as you go forward into this New Year, filling your heart with His Peace, Love and Joy!

With Big, HAPPY NEW YEAR’S Hugs,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2023

www.Senkarik.com