“Ornamental Cherry Tree #2″ 36″ x 72” oil and metal leaf on canvas – $6,000
After doing several paintings with my oil and metal leaf technique, I finally realized that I’m actually creating three separate compositions in each painting.
The images of trees or flowers are the most obvious compositions and I like to paint them so there is plenty of negative space around the image to apply the other compositions. The background color is another one and sets the color scheme for the rest of the painting. I blend the colors from warm to cool over the horizontal part of the canvas and from light to dark values on the vertical plane.
The composition in between is the abstract collage of the metal leaf, and the most creative for me. I have changed the method of applying the metal leaf with each painting to explore as many effects as possible I’ve discovered that using the whole squares, but shifting them so the background colors show between them is the most interesting to me, but I also have learned to adapt the method of applying individual bits of the metal leaf into a pattern to indicate a direction.
The individual pieces of metal leaf are the most effective in creating the shifting reflections, but I also like the larger squares for more impact of the composition.
The painting above is currently exhibited at the Portland Art Museum Rental Sales Gallery.
