Sunday, June 5, 2011

Shadows in the Olive Grove

Inspiration continues to flow from my Tuscan vacation, this time from hiking through an olive grove in Italy. In the background you can see Castello di Tornano, it was the first stop on our trip, in the town of Gaiole in Chianti. Early spring meant colors were minimal but I was more intrigued with the shadows and textures in the grove.

"Shadows in the Grove", 16" x 20" encaustic image transfer


As a footnote, I have to mention that I found out yesterday I won "Best in Show" in the Mixed Media category of the Marblehead Festival of Arts. This is the painting that won me the prize:


"Gray Day at the Beach", 8" x 8", encaustic painting


8 comments:

  1. BEST IN SHOW!!!!!!! Congratulations!!! What a huge accomplishment. You realize BEST IN SHOW means you were the BEST in the SHOW!!!!! Wow!!!!!!

    Shadows in the Grove is also gorgeous.

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  2. Wow! Best in show. That's great Robin. You must be so happy. I really like the olive grove encaustic. The small area of bright colors is wonderful being surrounded by the muted colors.

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  3. I have been feeling like the olive grove painting isn't "good enough" because of the muted/lack of color, unusual location (with a castle in the background) so I appreciate your comments. The best in show thing kinda blew me away, and was a wonderful "pat on the back" that I am doing something right. Thanks, you guys.

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  4. I've loved Gray Day ever since you first posted it. I'm really proud for you that it got this well-deserved award. How exciting!!!

    I really like the textures and colors in Shadows. I don't 'feel' the shadows so much, though, because the values never get quite strong enough. What you have going on in the foreground is really exciting to me - especially because of the directionality and variations of size in the strokes. I like how you brought some of the oranges from the buildings into the foreground, tying the foreground/background together nicely.

    BEST IN SHOW!!! (Sorry for shouting...I just had to reiterate how excited I am for you.)

    -Don

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  5. Congratulations, Robin! A well deserved award indeed! I so wish I could see an encaustic painting up close and personal. I picture melted candle wax over the top of a painting and I'm sure I've got it wrong in my head. I've seen encaustic paintings on the internet from hundreds of years ago (and that blows my mental image out of the water, to my mind). I also didn't know olive trees flowered white. What a stunning walk this must have been. I like this piece too!

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  6. Don, do you think the shadows in the foreground would make better sense if they were bolder? I have changed the contrast several times... and maybe this painting isn't really finished!

    Sherry, the single blossoming tree is not an olive tree but it was in the grove and I felt like the painting needed the contrasting white blossoms against the grayish leaves of the olive trees. You could google encaustic videos and see how its done, it's an ancient process modernized with electric heating elements and other ways that make it easier to work with.. I am in love with the process.

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  7. These are beauties. Congratulations on BEST IN SHOW!

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  8. Thanks Hallie.
    lets hope I dont ruin the encaustic from the weekend because I am about to darken the shadows, something that has been bothering since last night and hearing Don's comment makes me sure its what I need to do.

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