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The Process Behind the Piece

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I’m excited to share with you the story of how I created my latest painting. As an artist, I’m always looking for new ways to express myself and push my creativity to new heights. This painting was particularly special to me, as it is part of a wonderful exhibit that I was so excited to take part in. From the initial spark of an idea to the final brushstroke, each step of the process was a labor of love. I can’t wait to take you on this journey with me and share the inspiration behind this beautiful work of art. 

Inspiration

This painting is inspired by a children’s book (as is the theme of the exhibit), “I’ll Love You Forever” by Owen Hart. Reading through the book I was charmed by the gorgeous scenery the bear traveled throughout. It takes you through a year in the Arctic with the mother and cub. I specifically loved one scene depicting a golden forest the family wandered through. It was beautiful and a setting you don’t usually imagine polar bears in. It stuck with me and I knew this was what I needed to paint.

From here, I had to lay out the specific design of the piece. Besides the setting, I wanted to portray the warmth and love you see in the book. For this purpose, I knew I needed the mother and cub posed together and to keep this painting warm-toned in color.

Painting

Next, the actual painting begins! I started with the background as I was nervous about it. I don’t usually paint backgrounds. But that yellow, golden forest is really key to bringing warmth to the painting. I painted the forest in washes to create that foggy effect. I started with the trees furthest in the background, then painted a soft gray wash over them. This process repeated as I added trees and worked closer to the foreground. The gold leaves I painted on after to keep them brighter and saturated.

The polar bear themselves came next. For these guys, I started with the shadows. When painting fur I like to build up many layers of color to create depth. I pick out the underlying colors, where there is more yellow versus brown, and paint that in. Once the shadows are laid, I start adding lighter tones. Here I put more focus on the brushstrokes and create the hair look. This part is a slow build-up of each layer getting a little lighter. Then I add the highlights and pick out hair strand details.

latest painting

Finally, it’s done! I really love doing this piece as it pushed my boundaries. I tried out more background painting and got more experience with mixing whites and light colors (something I’m terrible at). It’s often when we push ourselves that we create the best work though. And that was definitely true in this case!


And if you want to see the painting yourself, head to the Putnam! The exhibit will be up through May 2024 and is a great display for the family this holiday.

https://www.putnam.org/tails-from-tales-storybook-beasts/

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