Georgiana

16 x 31" original oil

available through the artist

I am so happy to be finished with this painting. It feels like I spent a lot longer on it than I normally do, but I know why: there are so many color variations in the oranges and yellows that I slowed myself down to see the color and paint it instead of using the same mixed piles for everything. When I began this painting in the back, painting in the blacks and pinks, it felt so off. I needed to see the orange creamsicle creaminess of the foreground. I trusted the reference and now that it's complete and all of the colors are there, I love how it feels. This painting feels soft and feminine and old...that's why I chose the title Georgiana. It feels like a painting Mr. Darcy's sister would have had in her piano room a hundred years ago, next to a gilded mirror and light sconce. 

I love this area. You can see a lot of the color range. Grays are a secret weapon for painting oranges. 

This is one of four palettes I used to complete Georgiana. My favorite two colors to put next to each other on the palette during this painting were raw umber and cad yellow medium. It mixed into the nicest deep green. I dipped into it a lot. You don't see "green" when you look at Georgiana but there is a lot of green in the mixed paint. I love painting. Colors are crazy. Some of you know, some of you don't, so I'll say it again: I paint wet-on-wet, or alla prima all at once. I don't work over a dry layer. I choose to paint wet-on-wet because I can get crazy awesome color mixing, and I enjoy the challenge and immediacy of working on one area, darks and lights at the same time, until it's finished, then moving on. 

Bless my iPod. Painting all day is hard, people. It's tiring. Music is the wake-up! Here is a list of favorites that came on during the shuffling, that quickened my brush and opened my eyes:

Dave Matthews Band - Two Step

Mat Kearney - Count on Me

Moby - Porcelain

Dark Knight Soundtrack - I Am Not a Hero

Muse - Knights of Cydonia

Jack Johnson - Losing Keys

Mormon Tabernacle Choir - The First Noel

Interference - Gold

Blink 182 - I Miss You

Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal

Dark Knight Soundtrack - Like a Dog Chasing Cars

Lion King Soundtrack - Under the Stars

I am a music junkie and if you are like me, you'll appreciate this list of songs. I am always looking for new sounds, bands, soundtracks that have muscle. It makes for great painting sessions.