Hydrangea Harmony

Hydrangea Harmony
12 x 12 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello
$550
Here's my latest painting. A smaller version of one I've done before from a favorite photo ,but executed with a totally different process.

Below is the progression of steps from start to the finished painting above.

Initial drawing

On easel with photo

Start massing in the darkest shape

Then the next darkest shape

Then the next value, the shadows of the flowers

Added the background as another value slightly darker than the flower shadows

Finally massed in the lightest shapes

The original reference I was working from. Adjusted things a bit for compositional purposes.

Piaget Roses

Piaget
16 x 20 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

First larger still life of the new year. Went to the flower wholesaler to get some lovely fresh roses on a cold winters day and set them up in my studio. The set up is pictured below.

Rose Study 1
8 x 10 Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
$250

 

A little warm up study before starting on a larger rose painting this week.

Peony Passion

Peony Passion
16 x 16  Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

The first painting of 2016. "Peony Passion"  is a painting I began in December, trying a new approach I'd been exposed to in a workshop.  I did one flower in this manner in the workshop and a small study but wanted to try a larger painting just to reinforce the learning from the workshop.

Very different from my usual more direct, "alla prima" approach, this one was started with a board covered in grey gesso ( actually a gessoboard panel that is on top of a 2 inch deep  frame for a gallery wrap type effect- you can buy these pre-made in the art supply store).

After that I painted out the darkest shapes with a black acrylic underpainting, then added the lightest shapes with a white acrylic underpainting. so the net effect is all the midtones are the original grey showing thru. This is sometimes referred to as a grisalle- a monochromatic value pattern underpainting.

Once that all dried, I started developing the flower starting with a petal and then moving to adjacent petals. The first pass was still not quite where I wanted it so I  waited till the first layer was dried and then applied another layer of paint over the whole painting. I added a few leaves and suggestion of some others for a simple background and added a few touches of the stamen colors for a bit of detail.

I'm glad I went thru the effort to try this approach. I have to say it's not as much fun for me as the more direct method ( which requires less patience and more immediate gratification), but I do like the effect of light. It does force you to slow down and compare shapes of value relative to one another. So while I might not "convert" over to this approach, there are things I've learned that I believe I can integrate into a more direct approach. And it's always good to have options on how to approach the next painting challenge.

"Celebrate"

Celebrate
12 x 24 Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
Sold


"Celebrate" is a recent painting of a bridal bouquet, commissioned by a mother of the bride as a Christmas gift for her daughter. The wedding was a beach wedding this past July and the bouquet had a festive red, white and blue theme.  She sent several photos and I cropped in close and manipulated a bit in photoshop. We both preferred the slight angle view and since the bouquet had a long cascade, I thought the elongated format might be really nice.

These are some other examples of bouquets I've painted for other brides.  If you'd like to have a bouquet painted as a unique and meaningful gift for a wedding, anniversary, Valentine's Day or other special occasion coming up in 2016, please contact me for a complimentary design session.

Best wishes for a happy new year!

Hope- Ronald McDonald House

"Hope"
15 x 30 Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
Donated to Ronald McDonald House, Dunwoody, GA

  

Artists create art for a number or reasons, and often it is something they feel personally moved to create or express. However, art can be much more than an individual phenomenon. While I am passionate about art and find joy in painting, there is also a broader context to art for me and that is to uplift spirits and enrich lives through art and beauty. The personal context I have held for many years now and which has been my "true north" is that I am " Creating a World of Beauty, Love and Inspiration".

Aligned with this purpose,  earlier this year I created a program, "Inspired Spaces" where I donate art to places where people are receiving medical treatment or healing.  There is a growing body of research evidence that seeing nature and beauty has a significant impact on recovery for patients. In one landmark study, hospital patients who saw trees required less pain medication and requested it less frequently, were less anxious and depressed and were able to leave the hospital faster than those who looked at a plain brick wall. Another study revealed the healing power of art and nature actually boosts ones immune system by lowering levels of an inflammatory chemical that can trigger diabetes, heart attacks and other illnesses. There are countless other studies showing the healing power of art and more and more research being done in this area.

Typically, for my "Inspired Spaces" projects, I offer to donate one of my existing paintings, but when the folks from Ronald McDonald House shared the development of a brand new facility in Dunwoody, GA, I agreed to paint something specifically for them. The new facility replaces a former house that only had 11 bedrooms which meant many families in need had to be turned away. The new building just opened and has 31 bedrooms for families to use while their child is receiving extended medical treatment here in Atlanta.

I met with Jennifer Davis, a designer from Sims Patrick Studio, the local firm who worked on the design and decor of the new facility. She shared some of the fabrics and I then translated those into some paint colors that I would use in a limited palette. The new building has a bit more of a contemporary palette and feel so I created the painting "Hope" with a bit more of an abstract feel rather than something strictly representational. The centerpiece of the new building is a unique and innovative tree house in the center of the building that reaches up to the highest floor.

               

Some of the fabric swatches

I translated fabric swatches with the Sherwin Williams Colorsnap app

The new Ronald McDonald House
5420 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd
Sandy Springs, GA 30342

Ronald waiting for some visitors

Here's the painting hanging against a wood covered wall.

If you know of an environment that could be enhanced with some artwork for the benefit or patients and caregivers,  please have them contact me about my "Inspired Spaces" program.

Best wishes to all for a happy holiday season and a miraculous 2016!