The making of 'Bird watching by the creek' oil painting on canvas by Dominique Amendola

Bird watching by the creek

My painting, "Bird watching by the creek" is actually a sort of excuse for painting a figure in nature. The colors and the facture are very impressionistic. The colors are cool mostly, except for the T-shirt which has a warm color, matching the hair of the subject. She is turning her back to us, and we can barely see her face leaving her features to our imagination, the same way we do not see any birds in this picture. She is watching and waiting quietly for water fowls but this is also left to the imagination.

The weather is uncertain making the light cool also.

In some of his paintings with figures standing in nature, Monet shows us the same type of tones, mostly cool ones, painted in nature:

                                                    The Promenade, Woman with a Parasol - Claude Monet

For the execution of "Bird watching by the creek", I used a palette knife. Painting with a knife is a completely different technique than painting with a brush. With a palette knife, I feel I can "dance" on the canvas and I am not able to express much details, which leaves room for more spontaneity.

If you click on the image, you'll get a larger view.

You can see the stokes in these examples being painted boldly. Shapes are evoked but not described. They look like what they represent (grass. leaves) but it is only an impression. This is what impressionism means_giving an impression. 

The term 'Impressionist' was first used as an insult in response to an exhibition of new paintings in Paris in 1874. A diverse group of painters, rejected by the art establishment, defiantly set up their own exhibition. They included Monet, Renoir, Pissarro and Degas.

An impressionist painting is executed outdoors rather than in the studio, or done from life, not from a photo or sketches.


To purchase the original artwork: 

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WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE ART? WOULD YOU LIKE TO ORDER ORIGINALS OR PRINTS DIRECTLY FROM THE ARTIST? PLEASE VISIT MY SITE: http://dominiqueamendola.com

Oil paintings executed in nature, with or without people, and beautiful color images, sometimes executed outdoors or in the studio. Some compositions are horizontal or vertical. Some pictures have beautiful skies with sunsets or blue horizons. Some paintings represent flowers, some water, some are green with grass and trees. Some will take you to exotic travel destinations, such as India.This is art. Figurative realism by contemporary artist Dominique Amendola : figures painting, landscapes painting and spiritual art, artwork for sale. Oil paintings for sale online. Virtual Art Gallery realism, figurative, landscape, spiritual art, by contemporary artist Dominique Amendola. Collection of figurative contemporary - Women - canvas oil paintings, acrylic paintings, pastel drawings. Oil painting on canvas, original paintings art. Artwork by Dominique Amendola for sale. Oil painting on canvas. Original paintings art for sale by Dominique Amendola

Contact me via email

To see more art go to my site:

http://dominiqueamendola.com

Commission an art work from Dominique Amendola

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Dominique Amendola-California, US, India, France, Classical realism and impressionism figures and landscapes painter

The making of 'The Bathers', oil on wood by Dominique Amendola

The bathers

'The Bathers' is a small painting painted on wood. However, that same painting was commissioned in a longer and larger format by an art collector from Switzerland. You can see that other version below:

If you click on the image, you'll get a larger view.

'The Bathers' is an entire painting based on colors, brush strokes and composition. The first version (the version we are discussing now) is quite impressionistic in its execution. 

The brush strokes are strong using raw colors. Those juxtaposed strokes of colors give an impression of realism, but if you analyze it, it is not very realistic. 

                                                    
                                                                    Detail view 1

                                                                     Detail view 2

                                                                     

                 
                                                                       Detail view 3

In my youth, I visited many exhibitions in Paris and went to the Louvre museum countless times. I have some of the famous paintings imprinted in my psyche. I really think this little painting's composition was inspired by The Raft of the Méduse by Theodore Gericault'. (I saw that masterpiece many times at the Louvre.)

                                               The Raft of the Méduse by Theodore Gericault'


The above mentioned painting is evidently painted in a very different style, but the composition contains some similarities:

Notice how many horizontal lines give a sense of calm and peace and the triangular compositions give a sense of stability.

Fortunately this artwork depicts some happy bathers, not a party of shipwrecked people on a raft. It is executed quickly and cannot compare to a classical painting. The intention here was to convey a group of friends having a great time on a hot afternoon in a contemporary impressionist style. 

To purchase the original artwork: 

BUY THIS PAINTING

To purchase a print of this painting:

BUY A FINE ART PRINT

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE ART? WOULD YOU LIKE TO ORDER ORIGINALS OR PRINTS DIRECTLY FROM THE ARTIST? PLEASE VISIT MY SITE: http://dominiqueamendola.com

Oil paintings executed in nature, with or without people, and beautiful color images, sometimes executed outdoors or in the studio. Some compositions are horizontal or vertical. Some pictures have beautiful skies with sunsets or blue horizons. Some paintings represent flowers, some water, some are green with grass and trees. Some will take you to exotic travel destinations, such as India.This is art. Figurative realism by contemporary artist Dominique Amendola : figures painting, landscapes painting and spiritual art, artwork for sale. Oil paintings for sale online. Virtual Art Gallery realism, figurative, landscape, spiritual art, by contemporary artist Dominique Amendola. Collection of figurative contemporary - Women - canvas oil paintings, acrylic paintings, pastel drawings. Oil painting on canvas, original paintings art. Artwork by Dominique Amendola for sale. Oil painting on canvas. Original paintings art for sale by Dominique Amendola

Contact me via email

To see more art go to my site:

http://dominiqueamendola.com

Commission an art work from Dominique Amendola

Get your portrait done

Dominique Amendola-California, US, India, France, Classical realism and impressionism figures and landscapes painter

Young vineyards in California

Copyright by Dominique Amendola

Painting A Day:

This beautiful landscape is a common occurrence in the state of California. Here the vineyards are still very young. this painting was executed in plein air with my painting group. you can see one of the artist in the background with an umbrella over the easel.
OIL ON CANVAS Framed in a plein air gold frame
16" x 20"
$250.00
Sold
DOMINIQUE AMENDOLA FINE ART:
http://dominiqueamendola.com

Dominique Amendola-California, US