I painted in more details on the masks today, trying to indicate a bit of sun and shadow (even though the day was overcast). Went through a lot of colors. I use a relatively small pallet (palette? I was a music major, so I’m not sure!). It gets full of mixed colors and I have to scrape them up and remove them so they don’t get mixed together and turn muddy. I don’t waste the paint, though. Notice those pastel-colored rectangles resting on my easel? Those are wood panels that I’ve tinted with leftover paint. They’ve already been sanded and shellacked several times. Painting on a shellacked (sp?) surface can sometimes be like trying to paint on a pane of glass. Way too slippery! I’ve found that putting a light coating of oil paint – and letting it dry — adds just enough “tooth” to be just right. Those small wood panels are what I use for plein air landscape painting. I prefer them over canvas because canvas can obliterate – hide – brushmarks.
OK — getting back to this painting — the biggest challenge is coming: painting those blue glass cups and saucers! Time will tell….
Margie Guyot Art 