A Womans Prerogative
Okay, so I changed my mind and started the rhino first. Mostly because he looked quick and easy, while the bear is going to be one challenge after the other for me. I plan to begin making drawing changes tomorrow on my bear. And will post the final drawing before beginning the color work.
I kinda took some liberties with the rhino’s coloring, (as I am wont to do on these handmade paper pieces.) I’m not thrilled with my color combination of blue and rust. However I think he will look interesting once I get him all framed up. I plan to put him on ultramarine blue suede and frame similarly to my purple buffalo.
Much like my purple buffalo was just an okay piece, so is my blue rhino. Hopefully he will sell. My buffalo sold less than 48 hours after I framed him. So maybe that just goes to show I am not so great a judge of my artwork, as I may think I am.
I think the image would be much stronger if I cropped it. Essentially losing everything to the right of the first leg. I want to keep the deckled edges so it would be a delicate operation to tear the paper to get deckling, without tearing the painting. I may just do it anyway. What do you guys think?
Tags: rhino
Hi Mona, Wow, you did the rhino fast. You are probably a better judge than I since you changed that line of four draft horsees so expertly. However, my opinion, is that the crop you are suggesting is too drastic. I do like him the way he is and think he would be great on blue suede. I think people like the earthy handemade obvious vs. a more print/photo quality these pieces have. It is funny I was out a couple of weeks ago and went to a gallery selling only handmade paper — thought about it for oil pastel, but didn’t know if this paper would be archival (sp?) and if it would need some sort of primer so as not to absorb the OP. I didn’t ask anybody about it, or find out how much it cost for that matter, may inquire next time I am that way, which is not often.
I can see the bear needs a little more animation, but I don’t think I would be able to change him conviningly — I know you can.
Still working on my portrait of the sorrel barrel racing horse. Angela
I imagine handmade papers may or may not be archival. You are right to ask. The paper I am using is acid free. It was made by a friend of mine who is an amazing artist, with multiple talents. We do printing for other artists as well as for my stuff. And she created this paper for a print run for yet another artist. These were the left over pieces that she just let me play with.
As to needing primer, my research says no. But check it out. I did the buffalo a year ago and didn’t continue to play with the paper because I was unsure of the archivability. (whether the oil pastel would degrade the paper.) And that is extremely important to me. I did play with several primers and the oil pastel didn’t adhere well. Lately I did more research and felt comfortable that it would be okay.
Now you got me thinking about my rhino. I was pretty well convinced to cut him up. Hmmm. I’ll see how I feel in the morning.
Thanks for your thoughts on it. If I slice and dice I’ll post him again.
I like him the way he is too, and I think blue suede will look great. Maybe see what reaction you get from viewers once he is framed, and if there is no interest/he doesn’t sell then chop him up? *sniff* poor Rhino.
There seems to be a consensus. My husband also thinks to leave him but agrees that the cropped image is stronger. (He thinks I should do another painting in the cropped version.)
The frame him, then reframe is a good idea, Undaunted. For now, I think I will put him away for awhile, then readdress the issue in a week or two.
Now there’s an idea! A second painting with a close up of his face. You never know, someone might buy the pair!