I've been going to Soma Cura for lunchtime yoga classes for a few weeks and enjoy working with the new teachers and atmosphere. Several other members are acquaintances and I received a commission because seeing me gave Pat an idea for a painting. A week after we met at yoga she called me to paint the Grand Island Memorial Library building for a gift from the Library Board to the departing director. He was instrumental planning the new building so I felt pressure to get the details right. Commissions are always a bit more difficult than going out to paint 'something or anything'. Having built a house and collaborated on the new Niagara Falls High School I know what goes into planning construction, the director would be aware of scale, size, textures and colors.
The format of the building is 10 times wider than the height so it demanded a very wide canvas. On my phone I made a collection of library photos for references. A printed photo also hung near the easel. I kept flicking the phone screen back and forth to check scale, window details, brick colors, tree branches and more. It was pretty easy to pull up a photo to answer questions about the details and shapes by sliding and enlarging images with my finger. Having a 24 inch canvas of details to work on involved sliding my chair left and right to correct perspectives and shadows. Then, on occasion I also put my hand up to the canvas to slide it left and right. Fortunately only twice did I wreck wet paint and have to correct my swipe. Meanwhile, the phone also collected paint. I need to adjust some things in the studio.
Back to Soma Cura to find that peace again.
Here is the painting, nearly dry and ready for the presentation January 7.
A Life's Work, A Memorial Library, 8 x 24 oil on gallery wrap canvas ©2015
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