Jane Ellefson: August 2011

Friday, August 5, 2011

Transformed: Granacci's "Portrait of a Man in Armour"

I promised Hunter that we would paint him as Granacci's Portrait of a Man in Armour (National Gallery, London). I've finished the under-painting and it is ready for Hunter to start glazing. Happy 11th birthday, Hunter!

Artist statement

I enjoy working in both realism and abstraction. With both, I begin with a carefully constructed composition, using the Golden Mean as a way to achieve perfect balance. My realistic work is reminiscent of Dutch or Spanish still lifes. I begin with a faithful rendering, then fully develop an underpainting with white and umber. In the final steps, I complete the painting with color glazes. When I work non-objectively, my focus is color, depth, and movement of advancing and receding shapes.