by David R. Darrow
11" x 14" (27.9cm x 35.6cm)Oil on Belgian Linen Panel
SOLD Collection of Anthepy Nelson
Timonium, MD – USA
About This Painting
Her large, beautiful, but longing eyes betrayed her. She looked as if she wanted to be somewhere else.
She had a servant's heart, a warm smile, easily able to be chatty with those on whom she waited each day. She was beyond dutiful when performing her tasks. She was the best around. And nothing about the moment I caught her eyes staring at a distant hope "somewhere out there" diminished the excellence of her work, her attitude, her presence.
In a moment of stolen rest, twisting at the waist to wring out the morning's aches and tension, she stood staring at something beyond the physical window that only she could see, for its reality was in her mind, not outside.
Jamie, who modeled for this painting, caught my artist's eye one morning when I was out to breakfast with my daughter. She laughed easily, chatted at each of the tables in her station, looked each person in the eye making each feel as though we were all old friends. She's a waitress at a popular breakfast chain, and my daughter and I were out for pancakes and eggs.
"Would you like sausage or bacon with your breakfast, sir?"
"Bacon, please. And I'd like you to consider modeling for a painting."
Later that week, she did. ◙
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4 comments:
David, this is a very nice portrait. I am curious about the medium you use in your paintings. What type do you use?
Sometimes, for reduced drying time or for coverability, I will use W&N Liquin... but seldom.
I rinse my brushes in M. Graham's walnut oil, sometimes squeezing the residual pigment from the bristles into a rag, and then take another little dip in the oil, but for the most part, now I paint with color straight from the tube.
On occasion I will start a painting with what I call "Schmid Medium" which is a 7-part solution: 1 part Damar Varnish, 1 part Stand Oil, 5 parts Turpentine. Richard Schmid mentioned the formula for it on his November Video.
I do like it. Nice and slippery at first, but sets up and gets sticky, soon.
Really, though, I only use the mediums or chemicals to clean my brushes when I am done, or if my brushes harden, I use Weber's Natural to clean them and soften them again.
For other notes on my working palette, see my annotated palette.
Thanks David. It is always very interesting to see what mediums other artists use. The annotated palette is brilliant.
nice painting Dave!
-James
http://jamesmartinstudio.blogspot.com/
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