Personal Art Blog

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

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Pike Street Market - Painted Clothes!



Hand Painted Clothes
8 x 6in oil on canvas panel $135. SOLD

Artist Note.
I always admire the merchant 
who uses the air space
 above their tables to display their wares.
This vendor cleverly strung lines to hang
layers of hand painted clothes.

I was drawn to the scene, 
but it turned 
out to be rather difficult. 
To arrive at a good design
I had a choice to make...
 feature the hanging clothes 
OR 
the two women. 
As you know - 
the eye nearly always sees the 
color white first 
so I arched the white items together, 
and offset the women to the side.
 I started off with one woman, 
but preferred it when I added another.

Lots of scraping off while 
trying to solve problems as
they emerged, 
completely held 
 my interest while painting this one.

Enjoy the weekend! 


46 comments:

  1. Julie, I love this painting, all the decision making has been worthwhile xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice comment - thanks Margaret. I know you understood the decision making because I can tell by your beautifully composed painting of the ballet slippers that you put thought into arranging them.

      Delete
  2. I love the way you place the dresses, to keep our interest within the painting. Love the two women too! Have a wonderful weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The planning was the easiest part - it was the balancing of directing the eye flow that was hard once I got into the paint. Funny how a notan can work but when into the actual painting, color changes do have to be made.
      You beautiful watercolor of the fruit has my eye going to the dominant reddish peach first and I bet you planned it that way. You are a real whiz with the watercolor!

      Delete
  3. You really are on a roll with this current sequence, Julie. It has a sort of complex simplicity: each article is 'simple' but composing them into the finished painting is highly complex. Your narrative helps us to understand the process.

    I know nothing about anything really, so I soak up all the detail like, "... the eye nearly always sees the color white first..." I didn't know that. Finding out that the hairy end of the brush went in the paint has made a big difference to my painting too! :)



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are correct, John...on a roll. A series always gets my mind involved. The search for pushing myself is part of the pleasure.
      I burst out laughing about hairy end of the brush. You are a joy!

      Delete
  4. My first impression was the patterning but then I keyed in on how "airy" you made the clothing appear to be. That's no mean trick! Another successful piece:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Remembering the different surface textures of everything is easy to forget
      and pleased you recognized that Libby. Thank you.
      I am really enjoying the accordion books you are making. I never like to get into the difference between craft and art because, don't you agree - t it is the end result which determines that?

      Delete
  5. Julie, you always get so much interest in every painting. I see these pieces and over and over and over again I find myself missing Washington. Gorgeous work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had another friend missing the Seattle area from seeing my blog and I reminded her how horrendous the traffic was and the looooong winter of drizzle..
      So pleased you like the painting. Thanks, friend.

      Delete
  6. These market pieces are incredible! So much information painted in a beautiful way. My favorite is your latest with all the whites. Congratulations on this wonderful series!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Carol, good to see you back on your blog and I love the children.
      The red wagon one would be fabulous painted larger. It has so much energy and appeal.

      Delete
  7. OMG, love love love this. You always nail some of the most difficult compositions I've ever seen and this is no different. Absolutely phenomenal!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I appreciate the complement. I struggle all the time because I do know easier ways to present something but sometimes I want to learn and push myself. You most likely do the same.
      I enjoyed the post on your young student. She did a great job on that shell... and how nice that you reward them with a certificate.

      Delete
  8. This is fabulous, Julie!! It's so hard to believe the size of this canvas because my eyes are taking me all over this canvas with so many beautiful details. I love the light on the clothes, the splash of yellow and the little light on her back! Absolutely awesome piece!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Hilda - if you enlarge it then it is most likely larger than life sized. I do get a lot in. My goal is to make them as complex as a larger painting.
      Very pleased you like it - thank you. Means such a lot to me.

      Delete
  9. I did not know that about white. I love figurative work! This is a wonderful depiction of the market activity! How exciting that you can combine your experience and photo references to take us to Pike Street Market!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so good with using white effectively, Kaethe, I would think you knew it. Must be intuitive or from the subconscious after looking at so much art.
      You would not recognize this from the photo reference. Only the shapes of some of the clothes are used. The photo was just bad design with heads of passerby folk. I did write down some of my impressions at the time and they were valuable.
      That was an amazing DPW challenge you came up with and your painting is totally awesome.

      Delete
  10. I love the way the clothes look hanging like that with the delicate dotty marks of color. I had forgotten about how the eye immediately goes to white. My eyes went all over in your painting, so you succeeded. You really are a smart painter. Enjoying this market series so much Julie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOve 'dotty marks" Great stuff, dear Lisa. Happy you like the series. Bless You!
      Your "find" of the interior design books worked really well in the inspiration of your new paintings,. Love your interiors and these two are great.

      Delete
  11. Dearest Julie- I didn't realize that the eye is always drawn to the color white first. You handled this challenge perfectly. Such a beautiful piece. I so love your market series. Hope your weekend is wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, dear Debbie - thanks.
      Water-colorists use white paper to its best advantage too. That's why frisket is used. Your new painting looked wonderful before finished.
      Hope your weekend is quite marvelous too.

      Delete
  12. Very clever solutions, Julie! I like the sweep of the white clothing in a curve bringing the focus right to the two women. You were able to showcase so much in a small format.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lovely comment, Carol, thank you. Looking forward to seeing what you have been up to.

      Delete
  13. oh wow! This is so bright -sunny- cheerful!!! I just love this one - very visually exciting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheerful is good. That's what my mood was like when I was there. I was like a kid in a candy store.
      Your workshop in ireland sounded very special and i loved all the photos. You made a great posting out of them/ Your foxglove painting is truly lovely.

      Delete
  14. I feel like I'm standing in line waiting for..."next!" Love the composition.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hello there - my good friend. Always positive and supportive. THANK YOU!

      Delete
  15. Julie, The sense of life and movement in your painting makes it a real show stopper! Good design takes a lot of planning, so thank you for sharing your thought process.

    ReplyDelete
  16. It is really extra nice when a good painter passes on a complement. Thanks for taking the time, Jacklyn. Loved your painting of your daughter's Cairn Terrier.

    ReplyDelete
  17. The light in your paintings is always so striking. Lovely!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Joan. Your kayak painting made me happy and I enjoyed seeing the cup paintings displayed in the gallery.

      Delete
  18. Julie, I don't even know what to say about your painting. I am speechless! It is simply stunning!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Chris - returning the complement - your portrait ink batiks are truly STUNNING!

      Delete
  19. Great design and lovely rendition Julie, this feels like a small local shop here in India!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes - I remember when in India I loved the shops with the wonderful hanging displays. Every spare inch of space was used.
      thanks as always for the visit, Padmaja.

      Delete
  20. You handled the whites perfectly. I travel around the painting on them and they remain light and breezy. Love the two figures also. Stunning is a good word!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Helen - I really love your barns and the different harmonies you keep creating. Thanks for this comment. You really are observant...and encouraging!

      Delete
  21. I am enjoying your Pike Place Market series so much, Julie. Your fracturing technique is perfect for capturing the colorful hubbub that makes the market so special!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you like it. The fracturing takes longer but I enjoy it.
      In turn I tracked down your painting, (because they don't link to your blogger) and pleased I did because I like your magnolia very much

      Delete
  22. Lovely! Interesting to read about your process, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank Jean. Your latest painting is very strong. captured a special essence..

      Delete
  23. Wow! Wonderful painting. And thanks also for the ideas :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. I so love your market series Julie! Your ability to capture light, movement and ambience is breathtaking!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Lovely painting and interesting thought process of an actual scene in the Market place.

    Best wishes

    ReplyDelete
  26. A favorite for sure... This is so great with the implied detail and simple value plan. It would be wonderful as a large work as well.

    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