Current Painting Still at my Easel ... A PEEK AT MY PAINTING IN PROGRESS/Artist Confessions

Ruby Red Original, Sold--(Prints Available) Her Popularity Became the Inspiration for a Sequel Artwork

Ruby Red was practically snatched off my easel by a recent client.  The popularity of this painting inspired me to create a sequel painting -- A blonde version with a white wine pour.

THE FACE - A SKETCHY IDEA

INSPIRATION FOR THE WINE POUR:

For the white wine pouring over her head, I chose Chardonnay for its color and also, because I could have a bit of fun with a "word play" on that varietal.  I will call the painting, "Chardonnae".  Usually, a painting title doesn't come to mind until after I create a painting.  I got a wine buzz!

FACE IN THE GOBLET:

For my painting reference photo, I chose a three-quarter facial view of a blonde, instead of a full-frontal view.  This choice differentiates the painting from its predecessor, but not without challenges.  Portraits are the most difficult subject to paint.  Add to that, the fast drying time of acrylics makes blending soft edges more difficult.  Also, acrylics dry noticeably darker than when they were mixed wet.

WHY DO I FREQUENTLY CHOOSE COMPLEX PORTRAIT PAINTING SUBJECTS IN MY WINE-THEMED PAINTINGS?

I'm establishing myself as a contemporary "go to" wine artist who celebrates the wine experience differently than the ordinary wine art genre does.  That involves creating wine art not typically seen.  I haven't seen any women's faces or bodies in wine vessels the way that I render them.  I hope to create sensual, elegant, simplicity in my wine narratives.  Zooming in to intimate views of realistic or abstract  human forms seems to engage viewers (and me) more.  It's a challenge that fascinates me.

BEYOND SKIN DEEP & ONWARD

GOING BEYOND SKIN DEEP:

After rendering her face similar to the reference photo, I realized she needed more dimension than was evident from the photo, especially on the left side.  Without a subtle change in plane from the side to the front of her face, she literally appeared flat.  The photographer used more than one light source to blow out most of the shadows cast by her features.  Fashion photography intentionally avoids light that creates harsh shadows and lines to produce more flattering results.  It was fine for the photo because her hand and her hair defined her well enough.  Isolating her face from the rest of her head and including more of the side of her face with the three-quarter view, as I did in the goblet, created more of a portrait challenge.  While I didn't want harsh shadows and features in my painting, I had to invent a more apparent light source and appropriate shading to define her facial forms.

COLOR CONFUSED/ADJUSTED

CHARDONNAY COLOR CONFUSION:

Considering my passion for wine art scenarios, it may surprise you to learn of my limited wine-tasting experience.  I have never observed or tasted Chardonnay wine.  (I do gravitate to white wines like Reisling and Pinot Gris.)  For the painting wine pour, I googled "What color is Chardonnay?"  I saw two kinds of Chardonnay pictured:  One, pale yellow-green and one described as a golden copper-yellow, or saturated straw gold.

I headed back to my easel with that descriptive vision of coppery-gold in my mind's eye.  Things went well with the painting.  For some darker areas to define the streams of wine pouring, I used a burnt orange.  Unfortunately, the oranges became so rich that the coppery-gold tones were overpowered.  When the painting dried darker, as acrylics do, I had a rusty-orange redhead;  not the sultry blonde I was aiming for.  This would not do -- I had to get it right.  Painting is a constant process of adjusting.  Sometimes you just have to get it wrong before you discover how to get it right.

I revisited the Chardonnay illustrations at my computer.  This time I noticed the color described as a coppery-gold was actually a yellow gold with a greenish cast.  I mixed a more neutralized gold and started painting over the dominating orange tones.  I feel I'm on the right track now.  I'll probably replace the orange in the wine bottle with neutralized green casts.  STAY TUNED FOR THE BIG FINISH IN THE NEXT POST...

Smartphone case, click here

 UPCOMING ART EXHIBITS:

If you are local to Roseburg, I invite you to attend an artist reception for myself and two other artists, Susan Rudisill and Andrew Duclos at Fisher's Flowers & Fine Art, 638 W. Harrison St, Roseburg, OR on this Friday, 4/4/2014 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.  Fisher's is near the corner of Harvard and Harrison.  The art receptions at Fisher's are popular for their fine art, delicious treats and fine wine tasting.  I have a few large, sensual wine paintings on display at Fisher's from now through June 27, 2014.  I'd enjoy visiting with you in this relaxed, fun venue if you attend the reception this Friday.

Sandi's vibrant, textured floras are hanging at Ticor Title Insurance and next door she has a few wine paintings on display at Fortress Financial, 180 Lithia Way, Ashland, OR through April 2014.  These are new venues for Ashland's First Friday Artwalk, April 4th.

wine fantasy prints
See more of Sandi's art at her website

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT
Originally uploaded by sandiwhetzel

Sandi Whetzel is seduced by the captivating, graceful forms she finds tucked away in nature. Her fascination with the discovered shapes compels her to enhance their graceful contours, infuse them with luscious color and feature them prominently in her paintings. Whetzel’s contemporary acrylic paintings embrace the nuances of shapes and patterns inspired by the plant world. Her current focus has been an intimate view of succulents; embellishing their engaging shapes with vibrant hues and sculptural textures.

Sandi paints in her home studio located at Days Creek, OR. She instructed community education art classes for Umpqua Community College from 1997 - 2013. She studied with accomplished artists, Kevin Macpherson, Tom Browning and Harley Brown. She treasures most the continuing association with her mentor artist and friend, Bonnie Hill of Roseburg, OR.

Several of Whetzel’s works have been used to promote the wine industry through wine-themed events in southern Oregon. Her work appears in Northwest Artists: A Collection of Works by Notable Artists of the Northwest. Her paintings are in private collections in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, Arizona, Kansas, Minnesota and North Dakota. She has exhibited in solo and numerous group shows during the last several years, including two shows at the Coos Art Museum, in Coos Bay, OR.

During her childhood, Sandi’s family changed residence frequently to follow employment in the logging industry of southern Oregon and northern California. She attended many small elementary and high schools, none of which offered any art education. As a teenager she enjoyed paint-by-number oil sets and she became interested in drawing briefly around the age of thirteen. After that, Sandi didn’t have much contact with art until later in life.

For years after she married, her only artistic pursuits had been machine sewing garments and home decorator items. A friend invited her to a fashion T-shirt painting class and she thoroughly enjoyed it. At the same time, Whetzel was mesmerized by PBS TV painting shows.

Near Whetzel’s fortieth birthday she purchased new home furniture but wall art was not in her budget. Sandi had grown up with a motto that had served her well whenever she couldn't afford something. It was, “…Necessity is the mother of invention.” She always derived a certain satisfaction with inventing her version of the desired object. She thought, “How hard could it be to do the paintings myself? After all, I have been painting T-shirts and watching the instructional videos on TV.” Sandi immediately started painting all on her own, making discoveries through trial and error. During that time frame, she also ran a child day care business at home. While the three toddlers took their midday nap, Sandi took out her paints and painted for an hour or so during the weekdays. Eventually she took art instruction from a very talented and devoted community college art instructor, Bonnie Hill of Roseburg, OR. In 1997 after only a few years of instruction, Bonnie recommended Sandi to replace herself as instructor of the classes. Bonnie became Sandi’s close friend and mentor; a treasured source of inspiration and knowledge. Whetzel instructed art at Umpqua College from 1997 to 2013.

When speaking of her art, Sandi has remarked, “I hope my art warms the spirit and inspires people to pursue their dreams. Art that does that for us helps to make our working and living environments more of a sanctuary in stressful times.”