Upcoming show piece

Recently I asked my email list and social media friends to vote on which image I should use for an upcoming show submission. I gave them the selections above to choose from.  It was a close race and so fun to see the results come in.  The votes are in and the winning flower is B.  This is a gorgeous rose that I photographed while on a walk with my husband at White Rock Beach.

What happens from here?  My first step is to do a compositional study. What I'm looking for are elements within the image that support an interesting painting.  Image B, the way I photographed it, lends itself to a vertical orientation and I want to be sure that I don't place the flower dead center on the canvas, which means editing some of the extraneous information from the image. 

This is what I've come up with. 

I love that bud that is sticking straight up. I've positioned the flower just slightly off centre which feels really good, to my artistic eye. 

Step 2: Decide on the canvas size. Two sizes come to mind.  14 x 18" and 22 x 28". Both these dimensions retain the proportions of the cropping that I've done in this image.  

After checking my existing inventory of blank canvases and comparing the two sizes, I've decided on the 22 x 28". It will be a great size for this image. 

Step 3: Generate an inventory entry for this piece. I'm a stickler for keeping track of my inventory which means I have a place to record all the important details.  I love being organized.  The other important details is to name the painting.  ​

My magic word box

Filled with random words cut from magazines

I reach in, select a few, and see what I can make from them

Someone these titles always seem to resonate.  This particular title "All the things ahead are yours." feels so hopeful.  The dreams we have, the accomplishments we want to experience, the people we want to me are ours.  I love that. 

My inventory system that records every painting and the critical details about each piece

Step 4: Make sure the canvas is smooth and ready for the image, then it's time to transfer the image to the canvas surface. 

One key difference with this submission is that I am restricted from using any digital, mechanical or other tools to transfer the image.  The submission rules require that I transfer the image by hand which means I'll be using a grid to do that.  

In order to transfer the image correctly, I start by printing out a copy of the photo.

Then I murdered a page protector.  I cut it apart so I have a single sheet of plastic.  Then I draw one inch squares and insert the plastic sheet with the markings into a second page protector. The image that I printed is then inserted into the plastic with the lines on it being sure to orient the bottom corner of the image to a full square on the lines.  Next I'll mark out the same lines on the canvas. As you can see, from the image with the grid over it, there are 7.75 square wide and 10 squares high. It's important to make sure the canvas is divided into the same number of squares.  I want to be sure that I retain these proportions on the canvas or the image won't transfer correctly.

Now to transfer the image to the canvas.  This is done by creating the same grid on the canvas then square by square drawing the details in.  Let me show you. 

It doesn't look like much at this point, however, this is where the paintings start.  With this rough sketch I will start putting paint on canvas and developing the shapes of this gorgeous flower.  

Almost there.  The deadline is Friday the 12th of July 2024, by Midnight.  I totally got this.

What happens after I submit it?  We wait.  I won't know until August if this piece has been accepted.... update - this piece was not accepted into the show. 

This happens sometime.  You just never know what the jurors are looking for.  This is great piece and I know it will find it's place.  Currently it is on display in the preview show for the 2024 South Rock Art Tour at The Turnbull Gallery in South Surrey. 

As part of the tour I will have my studio open to visitors.  More details here: www.southrockarttour.com

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