White in Red

White in Red
8 x 10 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Click to Bid


I recently reorganized my studio and took all the still life props I typically use which were piled on a window sill and moved them on to a new  shelving unit so I can have better access and not feel so cluttered.  It meant rearranging the studio and losing a comfortable chair that I liked having in there, ( I have resisted moving it out for the past 15 years) but it was well worth the sacrifice to feel more of a sense of order and spaciousness.  The chair is happily getting more use already in another room than it ever got in my studio where it was usually covered up with canvases and photo's- basically used as a table. Also I can now use the window box as another option for still life set ups lit by natural light instead of having to rely solely on my lamp and shadow box.

In the meantime, while organizing I realized most of my props are in the cool color family. I can't resist the blue and white patterned china. So I began the hunt for a nice red vase. Went to Pier 1 but didn't see anything in the color I had in mind. I almost never go into Marshall's but it was right next store, so glad I did. I found this nice red pitcher on sale $5.99 Perfect.

So that was the inspiration for this painting, "White in Red", painted by the natural light on the window box.

before

after

Cascading Roses, Watercolor

Cascading Roses, Watercolor
9 x 12 Watercolor
by Pat Fiorello

 

I have painted these roses before in oil but decided to try them in watercolor today.

My approach was to paint the overall shape of the cluster of  flowers wet into wet to keep them light and soft. Once they dried, I wet the background and painted that wet into wet also, but rather than pushing paint into water on the paper, I wet the background with a juicy wash of quinacridone gold, then pushed other greens into that while wet so it would stay dark and soft. Then I came back and worked further on the form of the flowers to give them some depth and also softened some edges so they would integrate into the background.

Then the most important part- STOP!  Don't overdo it. Nothing is beautiful as the fresh washes so I have to stop myself before slipping into that literal mind and trying to add more specific detail.

Here's the original reference photo I took in France and the oil painting version I did a few weeks ago.

Wisteria Bridge, Watercolor

Wisteria Bridge, Watercolor
9 x 12 Watercolor
by Pat Fiorello

 

Took a little bit of a break from the oils today and did a watercolor version of the bridge painting I did in oils last week.

Love

Love
8 x 16 Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

 

After working this week on paintings for my upcoming show and commissions, I decided to put all aside Friday morning and just painting something fun for me that I thought would learn something from.

I had take this photo a few weeks back when I had these fresh flowers( you may recall them from my earlier painting "Caraluna").  I decided not to focus on color and did most of the painting solely from the black and white photo so I'd be free to make color choices and decide how much detail later on.

Felt like a good approach to keep things simple and fresh and not get hijacked into the literal thinking the photo often seems to impose.
A book I've really enjoyed  over the years and often share with my students is "Painting with your Artist's Brain" by Carl Purcell. He does a great job of distinguishing between our intellect- the literal brain and our artists brain which is about seeing shapes.

Two Hearts Together

Two Hearts Together
12 x 16 Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
Sold( commission)



This was a very special commission created as an surprise anniversary gift for a couple in the New York area. My client sent me the photo below from the wedding. There were 2 bouquets and one also small medallions of significance which needed to be included.


 I actually like the connection of the 2 bouquets in the reference photo. To me   (yes, a hopeless romantic)  it conjured up the idea of 2 hearts and 2 families coming together united in love. I cropped further in and shared that design with the client. Simplified and lightened the background so that flowers would stand out as vibrant and rich. The medallions were suggested with shapes and colors, but not literal reproductions of the photos

reference photo supplied by the client

cropping in a little closer to maximize the flowers

This was what my client had to say when I sent a photo of the almost finished painting for input/approval:

"Good Morning Pat

I love the painting!!  I think it looks amazing and it instantly made me cry.... I think she will love it!!"

And it's always nice to hear how it was received.

"She loved it!!!!! Thank you :):)"

Art not only has the power to spread beauty, but joy and love too!

For more on my bridal bouquet paintings click here or contact me for a free design session.

Clos Normand Joy

Clos Normand Joy
8 x 10 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Click to Bid

Back working on my series from Monet's Garden in preparation for the upcoming show in Giverny France. This is the sensation I have walking down the pathways on the Clos Normand side of the garden (the other side is considered the Water Garden).  It is sheer joy and sensory overload. I've heard Monet's Garden referred to as a "riot of color"  distinct from the the formal, ordered English gardens popular elsewhere in Europe. If you have ever been there you may remember your first response stepping into the garden and seeing flashes of color and light.