Starting "Nautilus"

New painting still on the easel. This one feels like it's going to be easy. 14" x 11" oil on panel.

Painting Progress

Earlier this month I showed the start of this painting; here is some progress! The lower section is still blank canvas, simply because I need somewhere I can grab the painting to move it. I like the yellow and black color combination, but now that I am painting it, the background reminds me of a stage. Perhaps I will call this one, 'Staged.' Any thoughts on that?

Back from "Vacation!"

Last week I had a little vacation. My folks were in town, and we spent the week gallivanting around and eating lots of food! We went to Manhattan, KS, the Oz Museum in Wamego, KS, the KC Zoo, and I topped it off with a 4 mile race on Saturday. My husband and I got to go out with some friends in the evenings.

I didn't do a drop of work the whole time.

The above drawing was mostly complete more than a week ago, but I just put the finishing touches on it tonight. I need to get back in gear now!

Working on Some Nudes

At the moment I have a nude drawing and painting going. I hope to finish the drawing above (which is actually showing up as blue this time!) and start up another drawing and/or painting in the next few days, so I have a lot around to work on. Usually I have one or two projects going at the same time, but I feel like trying to have more than that in progress for a change. Due to my limited space, it can be difficult to have too many wet paintings at once, but now that I have most of my work out of the house I wonder if it might help me move along faster if I have more choices on what to work on each day. I certainly have enough ideas to give it a try!

This is after one night of work. Very rough and general, but serves as a map and starts to cover that awful blank canvas! The last few times I have started a painting, I've remembered how I used to like to paint on a toned ground, but it's too late at that point. Perhaps I should go tone a couple tonight before I get started on anything else.

Facades - The Opening

Opening night for Facades was a lot of fun! Above is a shot that looks straight through the section of the gallery was dedicated to my paintings. The guy in the front and to the left is Jay Nelson, art pusher extraordinaire, and I am off to the right.

I spent the night chatting with art lovers and artists, some of whom I hadn't met before including the elusive Jon Keith Swindell, and sampling from the fabulous buffet Strecker-Nelson provided. There was a lot of great work in the other sections of the gallery which I highly recommend! Unfortunately, I did not get to introduce myself to Lisa Grossman or Lori Wright, either because they were already engrossed in conversation or I was being shy.

All in all, a good time and a great show. Stop in if you are in the area! Stay tuned; more art in progress is on the way.

Facades Opens Tomorrow!

Opening Reception tomorrow night from 5 to 8 pm for Facades - Nudes and Narratives at Strecker-Nelson Gallery in Manhattan, KS! I'll be there to chat with everyone who stops by.


The past couple of days, I've been working on this drawing. It's on blue toned paper, though it looks more gray on my monitor, and eventually I'll bring in some white highlights. As soon as I am done with the reception at Strecker-Nelson, it's time to get cranking on work for a solo exhibit here in KC at Hilliard.

Final Preparations for Facades - Ophelia

"Ophelia"
Oil on Panel 24" x 18"

I'm just now finishing up all my preparations for the show. Final framing, labels, and a disk with jpgs of all the paintings. I've had some late nights finishing up the above painting, and I have yet to find the time to digest my thoughts on it. For sure it was a different experience for me with the lack of strong shadows. This is actually still a little wet in some areas, but already framed and ready to go!

My friend and fellow artist Rachelle Gardner is doing me a huge favor and is heading out with me to Manhattan in the morning so I can deliver the last of the paintings, even though I think I am coming down with a cold. (Isn't she fabulous?) The thought of spending four hours round trip alone in the car terrifies me. In fact, if she wasn't willing to come with me, I was literally going to force my [almost] 10 year old son to endure the trip with me! Please cross your fingers that I am not sick, or at least not too sick, so perhaps we can enjoy conversation and lunch during this long trip!

Crunch Time for Facades

If I have neglected to call, or email, or respond in any way, I apologize! Give me a week and I'll get back to you. :-) I am dealing with the aspects of art right now which I loathe... the varnishing, the framing, the mistakes I constantly make so it takes twice as long to finish things. Yes, I am a complete klutz.

I'm also working on one last painting I hope to finish in time to deliver for the show. Please keep your fingers crossed for me, or better yet come to the show!

Painting Slide Show

Here's an updated slide show for the last painting. Maybe one of these days I will get around to lining up all the layers so she doesn't appear to move around. In between all the steps, there are little changes that might not be noticeable. I didn't paint the arms and hands in one shot, for example!

Click on the image to see it animated.

Red is Finished

Just dropping in to let you know this was finished a few days ago. I still have to sign it, name it, and might need to re-coat the background depending on how it dries. Already started on another one and will post about that soon! Also will try to make a new animation for this one that shows all the steps between the last post and now.

I am busy, busy, busy! February 29th I have an opening at Strecker-Nelson in Manhattan, KS. Details to follow. If you would like a postcard announcing the show, email me your address. You can find my email on the contact page of my website at Lacey-Lewis.com.

Painting Progress

More progress on this ugly duckling! It's starting to show form and light now. I spent a few hours one night on the face and mask (picture above,) and then last night I did the hair, neck, and started to move down the body stopping near the waist (below).

Apparently, this little animation won't work until you click on the image to view it. I didn't take the time to make sure all the images were exactly the same size and perfectly aligned, but it's fun none-the-less.

Lady with an Apple, Completed

"Mala"
Oil on Panel, 12" x 9"

I actually started this post yesterday, and finished the painting the day before, just after my last post. The delay in posting was because I was settling on an appropriate title. At first, I couldn't think of much other than "The Apple" or "Lady with an Apple." Everything else I thought of that might have to do with Eve, the Apple of Discord, or temptation just didn't seem to fit. I was typing that I wished I could think of a better title, when I got an idea and started to do a little looking through my good old Harper Collins Latin Concise dictionary. I found some very interesting coincidences, and thus a title with layers of meaning that just happen to perfectly suit the subject. A gold star for anyone who figures it out!


Anyway, I am very pleased with this little painting. I had fun with the different textures in the fabric and apple. If anyone is wondering or can't quite tell from the picture, I used ochre for the background and saved the metallics for another day.

Lady with an Apple, Lace Panel

I'm so happy that the lace panel on the shirt seems to have come out nicely that I had to blog it! I really get a kick out of painting interesting fabrics, especially those that are in some way transparent or have embroidery. Lace has a little of both! Also finished the hand, shadows on the face and the hair last night. Now just the apple, shirt, and background to go. Even though those areas take up the most space on the panel, they will go faster because they have less intricate details than the face, lace, and hair.

Lady with an Apple, Continued

I should be able to finish this one up in just a couple more sessions; It's another one that just flows right off the brushes for me. In the background you can see that I am toying with the use of metallics. I've been quite interested in using metallics and possibly gold leaf on my paintings for quite some time now, but I am not sure this is the time or the right painting. The ochre seems to suit the painting better.

In late February, I will have a show opening at Strecker-Nelson on Manhattan, KS. More info on that to come soon...

Ugly Duckling

I've titled this post (NOT the painting!) 'Ugly Duckling' because this painting will go through quite a transformation before it's completed. This is on a 36" x 24" canvas, which is large compared to what I have been working on lately. I am not fond of the feeling of a brush against acrylic ground, so I wanted to get this stage over with as quickly as possible and was impatient to get the canvas filled in with paint. Though I was fairly patient and accurate with the drawing stage (above) I wasn't so careful when it came time to add some color.

The above image is from the end of the first session. The previous picture was half way through. I used burnt umber to draw everything in and add some shading on the figure, and then set the background and mask with black. This will help me judge the values in the next step. You can also see where I used lines that follow the form of the stomach to help me place the navel, and if you look really carefully you can see that I divided the canvas into quarters before I began. I do that to ensure the figure is positioned correctly.

This blurry photo was taken a little ways through the second session. I started by filling in the reds of the headdress. Then, I redefined some of the shadows on the figure and used an earth red to mark both warm areas and planes that just begin to tilt away from the light source.

This was taken at the end of the second session. It was late, and at some point I became weary of getting accurate values and simply wanted to fill all that white space in. (In other words, this layer is totally inaccurate and barely more than a mess of colors!) However, I knew better than to take this approach late at night in such small, important areas like the hands and eyes. So I left them for another day, when I will be refreshed and diligent once again.

Facade - The Finale

"Facade"
Oil on ABS 20" x 16"

All she needs is to dry, get a signature, and be varnished. Sounds like a lot left to do while I'm calling it done, huh? Other paintings are in progress. I will return.

Facade - On the Verge of Completion

Now that I have these posted, I can see that they are destaurated in comparison to the real thing. I often forget how images seem to lose saturation after they leave Photoshop. Ah well, enough with the excuses. (Did I mention there is also a lot of glare again?)

This is so very close to done now! The blue and speckled feathers are pretty much finished, and the foundation has been set for those long tendrils on the peacock feathers. When it's dry, I will carefully paint the individual strands and some highlights on the 'eye' of the feathers. Peacock feathers are interesting in that they are not the color they appear, but rather the structure of the feather itself reflects light in such a way that it appears to have those rich hues.

The background also needs another coat and then a signature, but that's not a major undertaking with this simple background. The next post about this painting should see it completed.

Facade - Hands and Face

For the most part I am finished with the figure in this painting. I still need to work on the mask, finish the hair, and fill in the rest of and then put a second layer on the background. While I am doing this I don't doubt that I will tweak some of the flesh tones.

Above it the painting in its current state, with details below. There is some glare especially on her jaw and left upper arm. Thank you to everyone who has commented on this one so far; I hope it doesn't disappoint!

Facade - The Torso

Finally, a solid evening of work! I am actually very happy with this layer on the torso. I see a couple things I could improve, but they aren't major. Mainly I want to soften the receding shadow area above the front facing breast.

One of the challenges of this painting is going to be waiting for the background to dry. I have a stripe going down the right side that hasn't been painted yet so that I can grab the panel and move it around while I am waiting.

In and Out of Commission

Unfortunately, I have spent the first week of the new year in and out of commission (mostly out.) I caught a cold, and I really hate being sick! During that time I did manage to paint another layer on this hand and arm. No, it's not much, but my health is returning and that will help!

A New Beginning (Not the New Year)

12" x 9" oil on panel

After a few days of playing and socializing, I got back to work last night. I started this new painting and also have another one from the beginning of the month in progress. I look forward to painting tonight as well as on New Year's Eve! (Nope, no partying that night for me...)

The Offering

"The Offering"

14" x 11"

This painting is off the easel until it is dry enough to sign. Some areas will look a bit more saturated and clear once I get a varnish on it, and then I will take a new picture.

I hope everyone has a great holiday!

Headdress

Here's the headdress in progress. More to come hopefully sooner than later!

Just for Fun: Ice Pictures

As you may have heard, we've been coated with ice here in the Midwest. Thankfully, KC did not get the worst of this storm. I lost power for a little while a couple nights ago, but nothing dramatic. It all started melting today, and I decided to head out before my run and try to get a few artsy pictures before it was all gone. I am not a great photographer, not even an amateur, but it's still fun to try.




This last one doesn't look very icy, yet ice was falling all around me as I took the photo. I have always wanted to get a picture from this angle that would really emphasize the ice so that it would look like the Crystalline Entity. (Yes, I grew up a Star Trek nerd.) Maybe next time.

After taking these pictures, I went for a 3 mile run at the park. Looking across the park towards the sun, everything looked platinum and glittery. I thought about returning to the park to try and capture it, but by the end of the run most of the ice was gone.

Opening Report - More Painting Progress

The opening at Hilliard last Friday was great. I hadn't planned on staying all the way until 10 p.m., figuring that 4 hours would be a bit much for me, but so may friends came that we wound up closing the place down at 10:30! Thank you to all the friends that showed up last week. You made my evening!

Now that the opening is over, it's back to painting. I am hoping that a few more sessions with this one will do it. As of right now, I haven't touched the feathers or the apple for a second go, and there's still more to do on the hands, face, and background, but for the most part the figure is done.

Holiday Open House Tonight

"Eve, Ashamed"
30" x 20"

Art opening at Hilliard beginning in two hours! At least at the moment, the weather looks clear, and what better way to spend a cold evening than gallery hopping and grabbing a warm bite to eat? Hope to see you there.

• Hilliard Gallery - 18th and Oak - Kansas City, MO

Painting Progress

In the picture above, I have added another layer to the chest and upper arm area. You can tell the paint is thicker now, and there is more variety in the hues and values.

I decided that I wasn't pushing the values enough. The figure is lighted almost from the front and above, so the light areas don't necessarily have the variety of values that I like. I want the upper arms especially to recede more than they appear to in this first picture. (See how they appear a little flat and perpendicular to the picture plane?)

To accomplish this, I lowered the relative values there, and used the background color (lamp black) as I darkened the flesh tones. Adding the background color is a great way to get something to recede, as it connects more visually with the background space, and gives a certain feeling of more air being in front of the object... if that makes sense.

You might also notice that I highlighted the chest area, which further increased the contrast. Certainly there is still much more work to be done, but it is coming closer to my vision.

This side-by-side black and white comparison shows the value differences more clearly. You may have noticed that I stopped painting at the hands. As I progress to that area, I will return to the higher values because this is an important area in the painting, and good contrast will draw the eye there.