& then my contribution ended up on the first page in the news paper :)
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I got a third place in the Christmas card exhibition! Thank you everyone for voting <3
The winner was really good and I think that painting something that has to do with the city was very suitable for the theme of the exhibition. Angelica Tengberg (2nd place), who painted the Santa with a gift, is so talented and she masters a very wide range of techniques. The other card which got a second place shows the Picasso sculpture - the crown jewel of the city. Merry Christmas!! Now that the exhibition is over, I thought I'd show you how I made my Christmas card step-by-step. I started to make a sketch of the face and then to color it. I've used white, yellow, red, brown and blue (no black). As you can see, the contrast between dark and light was much greater in the beginning but as the painting proceeded I smoothened it out to get a more realistic result. A close-up of the eye-lid: Here I've started with the background. I decided for a green forest, it's a sunny but frosty day and the branches are covered with snow. I also added this little bird. When the bullfinches arrive, the winter is definitely here. He's sitting on a branch, singing along with the girl. That is why I've named the painting Christmas carols. I also gave the girl some hair. I like the fact the the hair is moving in one direction and the branches are coming from another. You also have this corner-to-corner line between the girl's eye and the beak and the body of the bird. This little trick brings harmony to the picture. Composition can make or break a painting. The size is A3 and it is painted on oil paper. I'll see if I can go and pick it up today.
I made a promise painting something for a friend years ago and I'm working on it right now. I've kept it in the back of my head since then, I've even started on something a couple of times but never been pleased with the result. Hopefully it will turn out ok this time, otherwise I'll need to throw this away too. That's the struggle when you try to capture the essence of a real person on canvas. In my other paintings I'm normally not painting people who really exist.
It won't be a reproduction of a childhood picture as I originally intended it to be, because we were kids when 12' megapixel cameras didn't exist and the resolution was awful. Blurry pictures are very challenging to work with and nothing I recommend! Colors used for the suit: Titanium-zinc white Burnt umber Prussian blue Ultramarine blue The dark parts are a mix between blue and burnt umber (no black needed). The prussian blue could have been left out, but I like how it looks when you mix it with white. It becomes more alive and more like turquoise compared to the mix between white and ultramarine which looks like a more pale light blue. One goal for next year will be to have my own exhibition. One thing I've learnt is that good preparation saves you from a lot of troubles later and that is why I am taking my time to come up with a strong and solid theme. I want the exhibition to be cohesive yet not boring. I'm brainstorming and writing down all the ideas I have without censoring myself. Apart from the theme, I need to decide for the techniques to use, the color schemes, the size of the paintings etc. I know it is going to be colorful, that's for sure. I'll do some oils on paper and others on canvas. I'll probably include things I like to paint the most like faces and hands. Maybe I'll let my little children grow up a little, but keeping the purity and the innocence in their expressions. I like to think in terms of symbols. If I paint a rose, it is not only a rose, it stands for something else (like the one I posted yesterday). As you see, there is a lot to think about. First I need to decide upon the framework, then I'll plan each and every painting in detail. Picture from the spring exhibition organized by the Art Association of Kristinehamn.
Meanwhile I'm planning, I make sure to continue painting other stuff - because there is a danger in letting go of the brushes because you might get mentally blocked from picking them up again.
One way to organize your palette is going from light to dark. In the end, my palette always looks like a mess, but this is a good starting point! In the picture I'm working with white, yellow, ochre, different reds, brown and blue (no black!). The post comes from the archives.
So much fun to see how creative people have been while designing their Christmas cards. The hanging is really fun too, like clothes drying in the wind. This gallery is so cosy, with all the wood and a view towards the river. I got told it was an old fishing hut back in the days.
My town has arranged a Christmas card exhibition and I turned in my contribution weeks ago. I got reminded of it on Instagram today since a friend of mine had seen my card at the vernissage. It is closed today, but I'll try to pass by tomorrow to take a look at what everyone has created. You can vote on your favorite and the winning card will be printed and distributed next year. You'll find the gallery by the river right between the big square and Mastis.
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Elin EriksonContact me on:
elin.erikson@gmail.com Archives
June 2017
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