Friday, August 28, 2009

Warm, Hazy Pentimento

10x10 pastel on watercolor and paper towel bits
I painted this one on a failed painting from yesterday. After I scrubbed the painting off all that remained was a dark pentimento and small paper towel bits on the surface. It's often nice to work on an old painting, although I wouldn't recommend paper towel bits.
I was happy with this one because the color harmony and mood worked. Finally.
Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't.

9 comments:

Donna T said...

Lovely, quiet painting Loriann. Please educate me: I looked up 'pentimento' and it's not there. Does it mean some kind of ghost image? Most of my successful paintings have been done on top of duds. Maybe because I figure that the surface is no longer pristine and I don't worry about wrecking it?

loriann signori said...

Hi Donna, That's right it is a ghost image or an underlying image that becomes transparent with age. In the case of your and my duds... it's not age that leaves it there. That's interesting about your most successful paintings that are painted on top of duds. It could also be that you have something interesting and quirky from which to work.
So bring out those duds:-)

Donna T said...

Haha - I produce a constant stream of duds!

I meant to ask before - what kind of paper towel are you using? Viva towels were recommended to me for UArt. They leave a little fuzz but don't totally shred. Also, I want to pass on something I tried because it was in the house - Glad Press'n Seal. It has subtle little nubs on the non-sticky side that kind of work like the ridges on your fingertips. I like how it moves the pastel around without removing it. It's good for a few layers or until you rub a hole in it :-)

loriann signori said...

Right again Donna, I too use Viva. Richard's (god of pastel) towel of choice. What exactly is press and seal? To move pastel I use pipe insulation. Lasts a long time, can be washed and best of all it can be torn into little points. We should go painting together sometime.

Casey Klahn said...

Very great - Loriann is back!

Donna T said...

Loriann, Press'n Seal is like Saran Wrap but it's kind of sticky on one side. I try a lot of dumb things - this is just one of them! Nothing works as well as our own fingers but I keep looking for substitutes. I've heard of using pipe insulation and need to give it a try.

loriann signori said...

Thanks Casey, this one finally felt like me:-)

loriann signori said...

Donna, I will have to check out press and seal.

Karen said...

There is something really different and interesting about the composition here...they way that diagonal of green asserts itself with its color and shape, and yet still really fits in with the rest of the composition...