Caraluna

Caraluna
24 x 18 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

As an artist you often hear the phrase, "it's all about the process". Another way of saying "it's about the journey, not the destination". 

This particular painting was a favorite this month in part because of the process. But the process starts way before I ever set foot in the studio. On this particular Saturday morning, I got up early and went over to Cut Flowers wholesale florist in Atlanta. I intended to get a small bouquet of yellow and orange flowers to go in a blue and white container, but when I saw these roses, I fell in love and brought them home too. Once home, there's cutting and arranging the flowers, testing the set up under different lighting (indoor vs outdoor and different angles) and backgrounds ( light vs dark), sketching some compositional options, preparing the canvas and then finally I'm ready to pick up the brush.

The process of creating each painting is it's own journey- often filled with detours and surprises along the way. Unfortunately there's no GPS except for your own instincts and willingness to try some different directions when you feel lost, knowing they may not always head you in the right direction.

Here are a few of the steps along the way:

So that's a bit of the journey on this painting. Hope you like the "destination" as well.

   P.S. The final stage in the process is naming your creation. These roses were called "Rosa Caraluna'" (which according to google translate means "moon face"), so thought Caraluna that might be a fitting name for this one to remind me of the beautiful fresh flowers painted one Saturday morning.

Roses Alla Prima

Roses Alla Prima
12 x 16 Oil Painting
 by Pat Fiorello

Developed an earlier small study into this larger version of cascading roses.

Here was the original photo taken in France this summer. I cropped in and changed the format since what attracted me to this scene was the flow of the roses and the wonderful harmonious variety of colors, shapes and  sizes.

Tulip Delight

Tulip Delight
6 x 8 Oil Painting
$100

Revisited a painting done awhile ago and strengthened the shadow and light a bit.

"He loves me..."

"He loves me..."
8 x 10 Oil Painting
 by Pat Fiorello
$300




Had taken some photo's of white daisies under some dramatic lighting at last week's watercolor workshop and never got to paint them. So decided to give them a try in oils the other day.
Below is a progression to share how things unfolded. I took a different approach than the way I most often paint flowers, but I have several different ways I've been playing with recently and all seem to get to pretty much the same place.

Started with a toned canvas and lightly sketched in approximate shapes and placement, leaving the flexibility to make marks with my brush and not be too committed to a specific drawing.

Painted in shadows and dark centers and leaf

Added background

Began building up the lighter petals

Continue to refine shapes

Decided to add suggestion of another flower behind to connect the lights in the composition a bit more

If you'd like to learn more about how to paint flowers in oil, I'm teaching a 3 day workshop in the Atlanta area September15-17 at the Spruill Center for the Arts. Details can be found by clicking here.

Climbing Roses- Left

Climbing Roses-Left
8 x 10 Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
 $300

The second in the pair of new oil paintings of sunlit roses observed against a wall in France.

Climbing Roses- Right

Climbing Roses- Right
8 x 10 Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
$300

First of a pair of paintings inspired by wall of roses in France.

After Marilyn, After Ted

After Marilyn, After Ted
9x 12 Oil Painting
NFS

If you have been following my blog, you may recall a couple of weeks ago, I had the honor of painting in California with and at the studio of my mentor Marilyn Simandle. She gave me permission to paint from a painting she had previously done, which was inspired by a painting her late husband, the well known artist, Ted Goerschner had done. Hence the title of this piece, "After Marilyn, After Ted".

It's a time honored tradition to "copy" the masters as a way of learning.   You may gain new insights into approaches by getting out of your own style and comfort zone.  Remember while "copying" purely for learning reasons is a good idea, artists, whether professional or hobbyists, need to honor copyright law and not then use those paintings for sale or exhibition. They are purely learning exercises.

This exercise did help me practice with a sense of looseness with the background and simplification of forms which I hope to bring more of into my own paintings moving forward.

Morning Sun

Morning Sun
9 x 12 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Recent still life of flowers and fruition oil from a more intimate, cropped in view than typical tabletop views.

In the meantime, having more fun painting flowers with students in my workshop at The Bascom in Highlands, NC 

Santa Ynez Afternoon

Santa Ynez Afternoon
9 x 12 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Painted on location last week while in California.