The underpainting to The Elements is complete. The face was a bit too light in tone and I've not decided whether to try to correct it or leave it. I've not painted the eyebrows or lashes this time, so judging how it will look is more difficult than usual. But hark! No face here, the triumph of the underpainting were the elemental elements; air, earth, fire and water.
>Part of the inspiration for this one came from recent paintings that used different textures, the "Hell Is..." painting for example includes rock and water droplets, and the "Wax Cataclysm..." includes fire, wax, and mountains too. I wanted to refine this in a full figure. The water here was aided by computer modelling, but experience was essential, and the refraction and lighting in the hand here was almost completely improvised. I've taken the unusual step of censoring this image. A public blog is no place for vulvae.
In other news I can announce that one of my paintings has been acquired by The Grosvenor Museum, Chester, as part of their permanent collection. It is thought that the painting will go on public display in October. The acquisition will be publicised at that time. The museum stores the Cheshire county collection, and there are less than twenty contemporary easel paintings in it and it is an honour to be part of it.
I'll glaze The Elements in a couple of weeks. My next painting will be Christ In The Garden Of Gethsemane. I started, then aborted this a few weeks ago. Version two calls. It's a big picture which demands a clean calendar. Oh for a clean calendar!
