Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis was inspired by the same photoshoot that inspired The Goddess from my previous post (see image below).  The series is about a woman out in nature who ends up becoming one with nature; where nature takes over her.  To me its more than human meets nature.  Its more like a change that happens within us when we encounter something in our lives that we obsess over and ends up consuming us.  In some situations it is a good thing and therefore it turns into a beautiful thing, in others, however, the reverse is true.



The Goddess (Available for sale at katvazquez.com)

I first started picking out the canvas.  I stretch my own canvas so this meant really thinking about the stretcher bars.  I chose this long canvas  because I feel like it makes it look more icononic.  After stretching the canvas and priming it, I lightly sketched out the image on to the canvas with a pencil.  I then started working in sections like I usually do.  I felt like defining the shoulder area and face would dictate the feel for the whole painting.  This area, I feel, is the most important as it sets the mood of the entire painting.

Metamorphosis in progress

I then continued to define the face.  The face is what most people look at first and so it was imperative the mood I desired the viewers to see was "written" all over it.

Metamorphosis in progress

I knew the flowers, butterflies, and birds were going to be what communicates part of the message here, so I left that for the end and focused instead on the garment wrapped around the model.  I used highlights and shadows to give it shape and volume.

Metamorphosis in progress

Finally my focus was on the flowers, butterflies, bird, and background.  When working from photographs, artists must be mindful that a camera does not see the same way the eye sees in the moment the photograph was captured.  The flowers in the photograph were not very defined and therefore I took a look at it for overall color and then put it down.  I worked on the flowers without looking at a photograph.  I solely focused on the colors, shape, and making the petals stand out.  I painted thickly on the canvas and mixed the colors right on the canvas.



Metamorphosis in the studio (Available for sale at katvazquez.com)



This painting along with others will be exhibited at my first solo show titled Life.  It will be held at Tulsa Girls Art School in Tulsa, OK from 12/3/15 until 1/2/16.  There will be an opening reception on 12/3/15 from 6pm until 8pm.  Hope to see you there.

The Goddess!

I am a photographer as well as a painter.  I came up with an idea for a photography series about a woman out in nature who ends up becoming one with nature; where nature takes over her.  My partner, Candi, is very supportive of me and is often my model for many of my projects without complaining about my usually crazy ideas.

This canvas is quite large in size at 5 ft by 6 ft so the logistics of painting it were somewhat challenging.  I often had to stand on a stool to reach the top of the canvas.  Here was my process.

I first started with a light pencil sketch.  I like to paint wet-on-wet which means painting on top of layers that are still wet.  I love mixing colors on the canvas itself rather than mixing on my palette.  To avoid the paint drying I started painting by sections.  Many times artist start painting in the eyes.  I purposely avoided starting with the eyes.  I like to paint thickly (although it can't be appreciated on the picture) and so instead of starting out with a thin wash of paint, I dove right in.  I started with the forehead and hair line and began to give it volume through the use of highlights and shadows.

The Goddess in progress at the studio

I then decided to continue painting the face and adjusting the pencil sketch as needed. The eyes look really creepy without being painted in. 

The Goddess in progress

My partner Candi surprised me in the studio.  She was very excited with my progress and wanted to pose next to the painting.  It is easier to really see the size of the canvas with her posing next to it.

The Goddess in progress with model Candi Estrada posing next to it

Finally, the eyes are painted in and they don't look so creepy anymore.  I found that painting in the face and then focusing on the eyes helped me getting the colors in the eyes right.  Many times we think of the white of the eyes as being pure white, when in reality they rarely look pure white depending on the lighting and the fact that our upper eyelids cast a shadow.

The Goddess in progress

I then begin to paint her hair.  Painting dark hair is quite challenging as sometimes it is hard to see the highlights and shadows that make it look like it has volume rather than being flat.

The Goddess in progress

While I am working in sections, I often step back to analyze what the painting needs next and whether an already painted section needs to be changed or retouched.  I continue to paint in sections.but I try to move around the painting a bit.  I decided to start with her shoulder instead of right under the neck.  This allowed the paint to dry a bit to avoid smudging the edges to show a clear distinction between the model's skin and that of the snake.

The Goddess in progress

While stepping away and looking at the painting, I decided I needed to work on the background.  Often, we as artist paint in the background as an after-thought not realizing that the background can also be used to "tell" the story.

The Goddess in progress

I had actually not really penciled in what I wanted in the background from the beginning so that was tweaked as I focused on the background itself and the story I wanted to tell.

The Goddess in progress

As humans we are constantly trying to find symmetry in everything.  When studying composition you learn that asymmetry is more interesting than symmetry.  I therefore avoided placing another tree on the opposite side.  I felt it would take away from her intense stare.

The Goddess in progress

Here is a close up of the tree.  I first applied paint with a brush and then used a palette knife to smudge the paint around to give it texture.  I also smudged the edges to make it seem like the tree was behind her and keep the focus on the subject itself.

Detail of The Goddess in progress

And here is the finished painting.  It took about a month to finish this painting.  I had never actually made a painting this big.  I find that like most artist, I go through stages while painting.  At first is excitement over starting a new painting.  Then I go through a roller coaster of frustration and delight.  At one moment I'm not so sure its looking good, then I love it, then I don't.  At the end I was satisfied with the outcome.

The Goddess (Available for sale at katvazquez.com)

Welcome

Hello:

My name is Kat Vazquez and I am an artist. I  have created this blog in order to share my works in progress whether they are personal projects or commissioned original artwork.  For me it is all about creating!  Creating artwork is my passion and I want to be able to share with you that passion.  Stay tuned!