Finishing Partially Completed Projects

My studio is very close to being able to actually work comfortably and schedule a few classes. As I have been sorting through things (old surfaces, partially completed projects, ancient products) many things have gone to the trash. You simply can't keep everything and there are very few decorative artists (or other artists, seamstresses, crafters for that matter) who don't have an abundance of old, outdated, and never to be used again items in their studios and work areas. But in among these miscellaneous items, there are potential treasures to be found-- practice pieces or studies that were started and set aside when something more important came along or the particular learning activity was completed. Some of these pieces could be very nice if finished, even if they are only displayed on the studio walls.

This is one of those pieces. It is a leaf study after a design by Ann Kingslan. It is painted on a wooden plate in Genesis Heat-Set Oils. The objective of the study is to work with cool and warm greens within the same piece--to realistically represent the shape of each leaf, turned edges, the position of the leaf in the cluster using both the value and the temperature of the color. It uses a monochromatic color scheme. I actually worked on this piece last summer while my kitchen was non-existent due to our renovation project. Unfortunately, when I attempted the first heat set, I found that the plate was just a hair too big to fit in my toaster oven. I had to set it with a heat gun (something I absolutely LOATHE). So, when the design was finished, I set it aside for another day when I had a full sized oven at my disposal.

This week I completed the piece. The background around the subject had to be completed. You will notice that it reflects the colors in the leaves. There is a lighter green in the upper right corner of the tray going part way down the right side. It is not as obvious in the photo, but the left side of the tray is darker than the main body of the tray. Finally, after varnishing, the rim of the tray was treated to a bit of Silver Rub 'N Buff, and yes, it is meant to have some of the basecoat showing through.