Personal Art Blog

Sharing the lessons I teach at the Artist Guild and the personal discoveries in my art.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Egg Tempera - My Daughter!





My Daughter

20x 16  egg tempera  NFS

It is an older painting but I am showing it because I have not done
a painting today - or yesterday.

I am still missing my daughter. She used to model for me all the time.

This painting is very special as my daughter is reading a love letter my father
sent to my mother when he was courting her.
She is wearing my mothers pear earrings. The shawl is the one I paint a lot -
my aunt gave it to me for my first child's christening.
The vase belonged to my grandmother and
the three calla lilies are symbolic of the three daughters
my parents had.
The background is an homage to Vermeer. I put his floor on the wall!

Egg tempera consists of many layers with little specks of color peeping through
here and there. I know it had a huge influence on helping me develop my
fracturing technique...even though the outward appearance is so different.


On First Friday's, Las Cruces enjoys an evening Art Walk and I opened a new
teaching space including a small gallery where I can show my daily paintings.
My regular gallery is one block south and we both hope it will work well for clients.


My new gallery pics.
ART STUDIO las cruces
                                 
The entrance leads in from
from another gallery - which is great - and it was the gallery
of a wonderful local artist for 10 years. It is on our Downtown Main Street.






The classroom is behind
this longer wall






This is a 20 foot wall and
I placed the unframed
paintings on easels.
My husband and I made the
wooden pedestals from
wood we had cut to sizes.
My favorite wall fountain
adds a little bit of interest.


Next month will be the Grand Opening and I will have the bugs worked out by then
but we had lots of well wishers and quite a few sales with fabulous comments.





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37 comments:

  1. What a beautiful painting! I didn't know you worked with egg tempera as well. The symbolism throughout is so great as well...masterful!

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  2. A wonderful work, which includes many loving thoughts!
    I understand how you feel,Julie.
    At first it is really hard this change of life.

    I am happy for this new art space:
    if I lived in Las Cruces, I
    I would come to learn from you!

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    Replies
    1. And I would learn from YOU, Rita. Your work is so beautiful and filled with emotion.

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  3. Really beautiful, Julie. What are the names of the galleries? I googled Las Cruces Art Galleries, but didn't find you that way.

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    1. Thanks, Virginia. I think it is too soon for Google to pull my studio/gallery up but the gallery I am in is the Phillips.
      Mine is Art Studio las cruces.
      I did the website myself and it took a lot of time. I used Fat Cow.

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  4. This is so beautiful!! it has so much family memories that it makes it even more special. You did such a fabulous job on the furniture and the reflections of the vase in the wood is perfect!! I love this piece!!!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Hilda - you are an artist who paints with great emotion so I appreciate your comments.

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  5. Hello Julie:) What a special painting with lovely memories. The style has something of the style of the old masters. You did a very great job on this one. So beautiful!

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    Replies
    1. Yes - it is classical. Very inspired by Vermeer. Thanks Renate

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  6. Julie, what a special painting with all those treasures that mean so much to your family. Congratulations on the beautiful gallery space you've created. Very welcoming and many of your exquisite paintings to see.

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    Replies
    1. Yes - the painting is special to me and my daughter.
      Glad you like the gallery - thank you.

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  7. Gorgeous and thanks for explaining the symbolism involved. Your new gallery is wonderful too, hope you do well there.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the good wishes, Carol, and glad you like the painting. Loved your sheep painting.

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  8. Beautiful painting! I am sure you love this one. Congratulations on the decision of the new gallery.
    Best wishes,

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  9. I love that you told us the symbolism in the painting. This is a beautiful painting. I would love to see your gallery one day.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Catherine.
      Your recipe for the potatoes is amazingly good. Made them tonight

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  10. Truly a magical piece filled with so many memories and love - and it shows. The gallery is so lovely! I wish you the greatest of success!

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    1. Nice of you, Susan. Thanks. Your dancer painting is great.

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  11. A very lovely painting, so full of skill, yet so different from what you do today, welcome back,... =)

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    1. Hi Roger - I still paint like this in Egg Tempera. I can only do a couple a year as hard on the eyes. I love all the layering and it is magic seeing what each layer produces..

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  12. Julie, this is really stunning! Wish I could visit in Las Cruces!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Sherry.
      I really enjoyed looking at your beautiful watercolors.

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  13. Susan's right.It is a magical painting Julie. Gorgeous. Full of love. The gallery looks great. I like all the little paintings shown on easels; the presentation adds to the reason why to buy. Best wishes for a big success.

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    Replies
    1. The little easels are popular because a lot of people just want to prop them on a bookcase.
      Thanks for liking the painting and gallery.

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  14. Gorgeous painting and beautiful studio. Looks wonderful. Good luck with the new studio.

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  15. What a lovely painting. It is so serene and yet full of emotion. Just lovely.
    And good job on the gallery space. It looks very inviting. I wish you much success.

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  16. I love paintings with a story and this one is particularly touching. The symbolism is beautifully and beautifully rendered. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Maria. I tried to look at your work but could not get on your site.

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  17. The painting is very touching. I find it very difficult to live so far away from my kids and grandkids so I feel your pain. What a wonderful new gallery/teaching space you're created. I know wonderful things will happen there. Best wishes!

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  18. I can imagine Bruce how you must miss the family. Malta is so far away and yet what adventures for them when they visit you.
    Thanks for the support. Mean a lot.

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  19. Your painting is so beautiful and so sentimental. My daughter is away at college so I can relate. But I'm only about a 3 hour drive form her now, so it's not so bad. Your gallery looks amazing! Thanks for sharing the photos.

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  20. What a special painting of your daughter...it is such a feminine and beautiful work. What a brilliant idea to add Vermeer's floor to your wall...it adds so much interest to the painting.

    Your new space is super and so polished...I love how you displayed all your beautiful works. Tell your hubby kudos on the easels. :)

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    ReplyDelete

I love that you are taking the time to comment and thank you for it. I am sure other readers will enjoy them too. If you cannot comment through this format then email me at juliefordoliver@gmail.com
Cheers,
Julie