Step One
The hardest part of the painting process is deciding what to paint. Sometimes the process begins with the object to be painted; a board, a tray, canvas, a “found” item or the design dictates what I paint on. Once that is settled in my mind, I pull the colors that I need for the project.
Step Two
Next I prepare the wooden sign to be painted. It must be sanded, primed, sanded again and painted. I do both sides and then completely finish the back to avoid damage to the completed painting. (I learned this the hard way.) Here I am laying in the background for a garden of poppies and Queen Anne’s lace.
Step Three
To paint the background I used a foliage brush and four shades of green over black. I have placed the design and have started to fill the surface with Queen Anne’s lace in bud and full bloom. The shapes for some of poppies can be seen amongst them
Step Four
Poppies of various colors and stages of bloom are added. They are shaded and highlighted to define petals and give depth to the painting. The process takes several days. Small filler flowers, blades of grass and leaves complete the picture.
Step Five
All that remains is to sign my name and seal the piece with several coats of varnish to protect the painting.