Metalica - Part 1

Metalica
by Jane McElvany Coonce

Many of you have told me how much you enjoyed the step by step process of painting that I did with the Key Bridge.  So I thought I would do it again.  This time it will be of a still life I did.  I worked on it 3 days, straight all day long, drying it at night with my space heater.

Every spring and fall, I go up to Woodstock, VA and paint with a group of friends that I've know for years.  My art mentor and former art teacher, Diane Tesler, comes back from Indiana to see all of her old students.  Still lifes are set up and we paint for 3 days straight.  It's heavenly.  No laundry , no cooking, no waiting on anyone except myself.  It's a tight knit group and it's like going back to a class reunion every time.

So this is the still life I did in November.  I call it "Metalica" because it has those metal cups that we used to have when I was a kid.  There's even a self portrait in the silver plate!

So here is how I started.    I've numbered them so you can see the progression.  I'll do part one today and part 2 tomorrow.


 #1   I begin with a pencil sketch on paper so that I can determine what size canvas I want to use.

#1  Pencil Sketch

#2   On the canvas, I start  by drawing with paint.  I'm concentrating on the composition and placement of the items on the canvas.

#2 Draw with paint

#3  I begin to block in the objects with a thin layer of color.  Things at this stage may move later on, but I need to get something down so I can see what's working and what isn't.  This is all I get done the first day.

#3 Begin to block in