Mother and Child – new painting

Back in November, Brant Westran, a colleague from Thompson Rivers University searched the internet for someone to make a drawing of his spouse and daughter. He came upon my website and asked if I would do it. I suggested a painting instead, and he went for it.

We determined the price and the size 24″x36,” and he supplied the picture that I would work from. Normally I don’t work from other people’s photos, but an exception was made this time primarily because of the infant’s delightful expression and a family member took the photo – no copyright issues. 

I altered the position of the baby’s hand to cover her genitals and proceeded to make the drawing. Brant asked for a couple changes before giving approval, and then I proceeded to paint.

Having no experience painting babies, there were challenges along the way; soft doughy skin, and a face with subtle undulations unlike an adult that have, for example, a defined bridge to the nose. Baby noses don’t have an obvious bridge! and she was laying down and that caused the face to shift south because of gravity. And all those fingers and toes with white pressure points. An important narrative element of the painting was that the mom would look at her baby, connect with her.

This painting got out of hand wandering into unknown directions especially with the colours, and this waywardness chewed at me because I didn’t know how I would, or even could, call it back. I felt uneasy all the while whether I was at the easel or not. The chewing didn’t go away until there was a breakthrough, when one area was finally going right, then I felt a flow and it slowly came together.

I can’t underestimate the value of what I learned, not only about painting but about self discipline – I couldn’t give up, I had to stay the course even though for weeks it was very uncomfortable; affecting other areas of my life until it was resolved and a way was found to ‘bring it home.’
It doesn’t matter what endeavour we set out to do in life, these challenges come up and shape who we are along life’s path. Life and painting – it’s all so wonderful.

Thank you Brant, for this commission!

click on image to see it larger

Mother and Child
24×36 oil on canvas
Copyright M. Budreau 2013

 

Christopher Seguin – commission

For the past few weeks I’ve been working on a  private commission, which has been mentioned from time to time in earlier blog posts, but not seen. The sitter for this portrait commission is the Vice-President of Advancement at Thompson Rivers University and the new President of the Kamloops Rotary Club, Christopher Seguin.
He is also my Supervisor at my 9-5’er at TRU where I work as a graphic designer with a great team of people in the Marketing and Communications Department.

I proposed to paint his portrait for the practice and a few months later he turned it around into a commission and then we did the photo shoot. I have to say the lighting in his office, and hence my photos, was poor, but I was determined to make something out of them in the painting and drew up several thumbnail sketches to determine an arrangement of darks and lights that would best express the Christopher I know.

This is my first attempt at a corporate portrait. And by the way, now that it had become a commission, rather than a practice piece, there was no pressure  – ha!
Actually, Christopher understands my passion for art and was gracious by giving me free reign to paint this to my hearts desire.
Click on images to see them larger

Below is the sketch, pencil on paper.

Below is the tonal value drawing, which was first established in a small thumbnail in my sketch book

Below is the custom-sized canvas, which is 18″ x 27″ with the drawing transfered onto the surface. This is actually the second canvas that was toned and drawn upon. The first one went in the garbage, I was going in a colour direction that quickly felt very wrong so I pulled out all the staples and stretched new canvas over the bars and started over.  

Below I’ve layed in some dark tones

Below is the first stage, where there is flat painting that helps me see where lights and darks will go and begin to get a sense of the flesh tones. It looks choppy but it’s a fun stage to paint because I don’t have to think too hard 

Below is the second stage, more thinking, development and blending, but still a long way to go. I painted out my darks so will have to recover them.

Below there is more definition and massaging of values.  I’m still learning to paint flesh tones and I have a preference for dark skin and Christopher is fair, so I really had to lighten up! I was confronted at this point about how to lighten his whole face, shadows too, and not make him look pasty, it’s so easy to fall into the pasty pit by using white to lighten, and then I wondered, how or if I could do it?
His eyes weren’t talking to me yet and I usually have eyes set up and ‘looking at me’ early in my paintings.

Below: So in my usual way I just started moving paint around in large areas going much lighter and then I slowed down the pace to really look at his eyes so I could make them see the world he was building outside his office window, the sweeping reconstruction of Old Main, and then I knew I was on the home stretch. The shirt appears as though it’s not in the same light as the rest of him, so icy blue.

Below, here it is completed with shirt and jacket toned down somewhat, and final details added.

Christopher Seguin, oil on canvas, 18×24, Copyright M. Budreau 2012

Thank you Christopher, for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to paint your portrait – mb

Chaco Passage – 5

Previous post for this painting was Aug. 2, 2011

I’m such a newbie at oil painting. Again, thoughts of how to take this painting to the next stage eluded me. How do I take these sandstone rocks to sculptural form, to grit and glow? 
I pull last weekends palette out of a wet-palette box noticing that some colours have dried in spite of the closed space, but the big globs are still good. I mix up a fresh colour and start. I was challenged. I wasn’t seeing the colours and I wasn’t feeling the place that was being painted. Such a difference from last weekend when it all flowed and felt wonderful- sigh. But this time I pushed forward even though the feeling of disconnection prevailed. In my opinion it’s risky to do art in this state, risky in that you could ruin the piece, but I kept going for about 6 hours, then I grew antsy and knew it was time to soak the brushes. Here’s today’s effort. Maybe more tomorrow.

Book: Budreau’s Kamloops and Region

The cover of

The land around Kamloops is diverse with never ending spectacular views, wildlife and climate zones. This publication shows some of this vast beauty photographed over the course of 4 years complete with map of photo locations.

Reviewed by Mark Madryga, Global TV

Title: Budreau’s Kamloops and Region
Author: Bronwen Scott
Design: Budreau Publishing and Design
Category: Non-fiction
Description: Full colour photo-rich pictorial book of Kamloops with brief history.
Date Published: 2009
ISBN: 978-0-9810006-3-3
32 pgs
Cover Price: $19.95 (taxes and shipping not included)

Purchase at these Kamloops locations:

At Second Glance Used Books, 448 Victoria Street
BC Wildlife Park, 9077 Dallas Drive
Bookland, North Shore 750 Fortune Drive
Chapters, 4-1395 Hillside Drive
Coles, Aberdeen Mall 1320 Trans Canada Hwy W.
Gateway Travel Centre, 175 Kokanee Way
Kamloops Museum and Archives, 207 Seymour Street
Kamloops Visitor Centre, 1290 West Trans Canada Hwy
Save On Foods, 100-1210 Summit Drive
Secwepemc Museum, 200-255 Yellowhead Hwy
The Book Place, 248 3rd Avenue
TRU Bookstore, Thompson Rivers University Campus, 900 McGill Road

Or from:
budreau@shaw.ca