Resurrecting an Unfinished Oil Painting
Posted By Carrie L. Lewis on June 22, 2010
Many of you will remember this image. Buckles & Belts. It was one of the lesson paintings I started early in 2009, when I was learning the Flemish technique of painting.
Most of those paintings didn’t survive due to paint film failure, support failure or just plain boredom with the image.
This painting wasn’t officially abandoned, but it was neglected on a major scale. I’ve often considered sanding the panel but have just never gotten around to it.
In the meantime, the image shown here has been used as my avatar on the forums of which I am a member. Its demonstration page has also gotten a lot of traffic. Even unfinished, the painting garners its share of attention and compliments.
One of my studio goals is to finish new paintings. This year, that includes finishing paintings that have been idle for weeks, days, months, year (you get the idea). It’s part of a desire to finish as well as I start on every project that’s worth my time to start.
Buckles & Belts is one of those paintings. With a brief lull between portrait starts, I decided to finish this little painting.
Work began last week with a paint thinner treatment to remove colored pencil from the surface (see Buckles & Belts, the Demonstration for more on that).
The painting is a 6×8 small format painting on gessoed Masonite panel. As always, it is being painted exclusively with M. Graham Oils and mediums.
I am a self-taught artist for the most part. Lots of trial and error in the past forty years! Formal art training consists of a couple of years of high school art, a painting class at a community college, one semester in the Fine Arts program at Abilene Christian University and a couple of local workshops.
I am always looking for ways to better my artistic skills, so I am a permanent student in the School of Trial and Error. I love reading and have been known to spend hours online researching materials and techniques. As a result, I've painted in several different styles, including the direct method (which goes straight for the color) and Classical methods (which involves underpaintings, layering and glazing).
I have exhibited paintings in locations such as Lone Star Park Race Track, Grand Prairie, Texas and Remington Park Race Track, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Since the early 90s, I've worked with the Michigan Harness Horseman's Association, donating custom portraits to their annual benefit auction.
In the course of maintaining a growing art business, I have taught myself web design (a skill that will no doubt prove to be a continual learning experience).
I also enjoy puttering around the yard, chasing trains with my husband, Neal, travel and, of course, looking at horses whenever they appear on my horizon.
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