A Riot of Red!

One of the pieces I had time to work on over the past few months is The Musketeer. 

Though it has been several weeks since I worked on the piece, I wanted to share a few fun aspects of this painting and its progress.
I was able to develop several areas that were giving me a hard time, and make a few key decisions about the piece. Unfortunately, I kinda mucked up the hues on the face, but that will not be too difficult to fix. (I shoulda left well enough alone! LOL)

Here is a close-up shot (kinda blurry!) of what I like to call "A Riot of Red"...!

Closeup of The Musketeer "A Riot of Red"

A few years ago, my (then) boss Dino Casterline took the gang to the Orlando Art Museum to see the Norman Rockwell exhibit. I was in awe. I had only seen reproductions of the pieces in print. I had always liked Rockwell's work... but the original paintings were a whole 'nother experience altogether. 

One piece that caught my attention was the painting Checkers showing a group of circus performers backstage.  The reds he created in the fabric of the ringmasters coat really caught me. I thought I knew the color "red", but could not believe how "red" the color red could be! 

At that moment I knew that one day, I would attempt to create reds in a painting that had that "red"-ness. And so here I was, with this beautiful musketeer costume, and the red satin of the cloak staring me in the face. I said to myself "Self... now is the time!" 

And what fun it has been! I have used many different reds, purples and browns, in adjacent swaths of paint and combined in layers. I never fully realized  how many variations of red I could employ in one section of a painting... until now!

This has turned out to be one of those 'long term paintings' that presents many unique challenges and opportunities for learning. I have repainted several areas - some more than once. I enjoy setting it aside and letting it 'percolate' in my brain, then coming back to it a while later. 

I'll be posting more from this painting as it progresses.