MOSES BOTKIN CHALLENGE October

"Flower of the Sun"
12x12" oil on canvas

SOLD

Palette knife! Arrrgghhhh! I've come to detest those two words these past few weeks! That was the challenge this month. Paint exclusively with a palette knife! "Thanks Vicki!"...she said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

I always thought I would enjoy painting with a palette knife. I was wrong. I loathed it and it doesn't look good for a second date. The only sparks that flew were the ones coming from my progressively exsplicit potty mouth!

But, it IS a challenge after all, and it WAS a challenge. For me, it was like painting with a tree stump! Creating depth was nearly impossible because every new stroke brought whatever I was painting forward, so going back to try and add a shadow of some sort wasn't working. And mixing colors was not happenin'...at all! I have a new found, deep respect and admiration for artists who create extraordinary work with a palette knife. I, unfortunately, will never be among them.

I am, however, okay with the outcome. It does look like a palette knife painting so I guess it works. The one thing I adored about this method was clean up! Even between applications of different colors...just wipe and dip! Nice! And who knows, one should never say never right?

And I would like to thank and give photo reference credit to my dear friend Brenda Ferguson. She has an amazing piece of land graced with abundant flowers of the sun and was kind enough to let me use one of her shots for this painting. 

And as a post script, after all my ranting about painting with a tree stump, the darn thing sold!! And quicker than any other painting I've done. Okay! I have no problem being wrong about this palette knife thing! Excuse me, I'm off to the studio to apologize to the knife and retrieve it from the bin.

Also, Tim validated his presence in the studio while I was painting his portrait, and I can't wait to share how.

Enjoy:

"Pufftop"
6x8" oil on hardboard
©2013 Diana Moses Botkin
http://dianamosesbotkin.blogspot.com/

"#17" (of 100 variations)
7.5x7.5" oil on paper
©V.N.Ross
http://www.vickiandrandyrossart.blogspot.com/


And, thank you so very much for each and every word in each and every comment left on the painting of Tim's birthday portrait. You all truly made it a celebration of joy for me, for us!