Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Week 5: Vase of Flowers by Jan Davidsz de Heem

Hello,

I just completed week five this Tuesday and feel the progress is just humming along. This week when I arrived to the gallery the easel was missing so I had to call and request it to be delivered. While waiting I worked out a game plan for the day.

The cabbage leaf above the carnation and pea pods was the next big thing to tackle because it is so large and determines the location for its neighboring flowers.


beginning of week 5

{status at the beginning of the day}


end of week 5 detail

{detail of what was completed by the end of the day}


I mainly focused on the details of the leaf, only basically blocking in the value shapes of the roses. Next week I will start to refine them some and begin to block in other flowers, like the morning glory that I covered up as the day went by.


end of week 5

{status of the entire painting}


A few weeks ago when I decided to break up the painting into bite sized chunks I began centrally with the glass vase and later moved down to the table and to the left. So far I like this direction and plan on working through the painting in a somewhat clockwise manner. This will leave the red tulip on lower the right {which is now a red mass} to the end. I think the red tulip may be the most difficult flower on this painting, second to the white fluffy tulip on the top and having a lot of practice time learning to work out the minute details of this painting will be in my favor.

Below is the original painting to see how much more ther is to go... While at the museum a docent came up and asked me how long it will take me till I am finished with the copy, I replied somewhere between 30-36 weeks. I hope that is all as I would like to start another painting before my year anniversary of being a copyist :)

{The original painting}

Jan Davidsz de Heem

Dutch, 1606 - 1683/1684

Vase of Flowers, c. 1660

6 comments:

Carrie Waller Watercolors said...

Exciting to see it coming along!

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

Thanks Carrie! It is a pleasure the share with you :)

Virginia Floyd said...

I love hearing about your progress on the painting. The amount of detail is staggering! When people ask me about learning to paint, I always laugh that I'll just be happy when I can paint an apple! I can't imagine learning to paint like that.

Bu I remember when you first were posting your paintings of lemons. I've been following you since then. You have made such wonderful progress in your painting! Keep posting!

LindaHunt said...

Very interesting progression. I have to say that I love your unfinished stages in and of themselves...this is quite an amgitious undertaking!

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

Hi Virginia :) I am so happy to hear how you have been visiting for so long!

Blogging and painting has been so rewarding and I am certain my switch to a full time artist is because of blogging.

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

Hi Linda, now that I am into the project I realize copying this painting is a big undertaking, however the experience has been invaluable. I am learning so much!