Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Venice Painting in Soft Pastel



This painting is based on a photo I took when my husband and I were in Venice last fall.  Normally this is not something I'd choose to paint, but I was so in love with the image that I abandoned all good sense and insisted on painting it.  As you might guess, it was time consuming.  Definitely my most ambitious painting to date.  I started this painting the end of last year, and then had to put it away for a while so I could get other projects done.  I'm very happy to have finally finished it.

For those who are interested, here are a few WIP pictures I took during the painting process.  











And the finished painting again:




"Venice"
25" x 19"
Soft Pastel on La Carte

(SOLD)

21 comments:

Arti said...

All I can say is "wow"!This is worth the time you spent on it...

Anna Schoolderman said...

Stunning work Kari. I can understand why you just had to paint this. You've done a wonderful job!

Kari Tirrell said...

Thank you, Arti & Anna! I'm glad you like it. :)

Sonya Johnson said...

This is just remarkable, Kari! I can see why it took you so long to complete, but clearly the end result was worth it :).

I don't have the attention span or patience to paint to the level of detail you do, but I sure enjoy your efforts!

Mona Diane Conner said...

Exquisitely done Kari, especially the combination of the light reflections on the water and the perspective and how it leads the eyes through the painting. Congrats on finishing this; I'm sure it will win some awards for you!

Kari Tirrell said...

Thanks, Sonya! :)

Thanks, Mona! Venice buildings are wonky to begin with, and then I had to deal with camera distortion, so the perspective was definitely a challenge. I'm so glad to finally be finished with it!

Sandy Byers said...

Kari, this is an amazing painting and I can see why you were so taken by the scene. Your fortitude was well worth the outcome; it is a joy to view. Congratulations! (I'm sure I'll be saying that again in reference to this painting :-).

Kari Tirrell said...

Thank you so much, Sandy. I value your opinion, and I appreciate your taking the time to come in and comment. Thanks! :)

Lokelani Forrest said...

Wonderful job on a very, very detailed photo, but you accomplished it beautifully. Stunning.

Kari Tirrell said...

Thanks, Lokelani! I had to leave quite a bit of detail out, just out of self-preservation. There's still plenty to look at, that's for sure!

davdon21@yahoo.com said...

Brillant piece of Art. Way to go.
Donna

Kari Tirrell said...

Thanks, Donna! :)

Anonymous said...

What a lovely piece of art work. Thanks to Marti I had a chance to view it ... and your progressive canvas pictures, too. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. The time you spent was worth every second.

Marsha Chowning

Kari Tirrell said...

What a nice compliment, Marsha - thank you! I appreciate your taking the time to visit my blog and comment on my work. Thanks so much. :)

Happy Little Trees Studio said...

Ok, just love seeing your work in progress. Wonderful painting!

Regina Calton Burchett said...

Kari - It's so great to see the progression in your painting. Just amazing - as always, your work is beautiful!!

Kari Tirrell said...

Thanks, Kimberly - I'm glad you like it!

Thank you, Regina! That's very nice of you to say. :)

Alvin Richard said...

You have captured the light so magnificiently, so soft and infused throughout. The surfaces, the perspective, the subject matter & the ccomposition makes it a winner....so MASTERFUL!

Kari Tirrell said...

Thank you, Alvin. I'm so glad you think so!

hudsonsbayman said...

Really interested to see the process you went through to create this. My wife and I had a wonderful trip to Venice a few years ago and we heve since become obsessed with canal scenes. This captures the atmosphere so brilliantly. We have both become great admirers of your work!

Kari Tirrell said...

Thank you, hudsonsbayman! My husband and I really loved Venice. This painting was the perfect reminder of our trip.

I'm glad you feel I've captured Venice well, and I'm happy you like my work - thank you! :)