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strange but beautiful paintings
Daniela reclining on my chaise-longue
portrait in oil on canvas
work in progress
Oil painting on canvas 27.5 x 19.5 inches. 2007.
This is the state of the painting after two sittings (or reclinings, if you prefer). People are so busy it is hard to get them to come back for me to finish a portrait.
One advantage to be got from an unfinished painting is that you can see my method of working: monotone in raw umber against a cream background and then highlights in yellow ochre mixed with white. Only after establishing form and tone did I start to add colour.
The classical way of working - breaking the problem of painting down into three stages: form, tone and colour - simplifies the process. Modern post-impressionists like to make life difficult for themselves, and if they are brilliant craftsmen, then let them. For the rest of us, the old methods work. There is no merit in difficulty unless it leads to greater perfection.
All images are copyright © Martin Dace 2007: you must contact me for permission if you wish to publish or reproduce my pictures. Permission will usually be granted for web use provided my authorship and copyright is acknowledged and a link back to my site is provided. A link from my website to yours is also a possibility.