Surfacing

It’s been a long while, but I haven’t forgotten you!  I’m frankly more active now on Instagram due to the ease of use and few or no works expected, so posting is a snap. Join me there if you like to view images.  @elenacaravela, (paintings) @elena.pics (wildlife photos), and @caravelaelena (digital paintings). WordPress is the …

Two Sides

Two variations of K. There are so many ways to portray a subject.  Even when the portrait is figurative, a straight forward depiction of likeness; a literal likeness of an individual, it’s a challenge to decide which aspect of your model you want to highlight or capture.  That said, I’ve been playing with “sets”.  These …

Experiments In Oil#3

I LOVE to paint portraits, people, figures, gestures.  In the hands of a skilled and thoughtful artist, Old Master or contemporary, there is no subject more compelling for me  than a portrait.  But, paintings of people can sometimes leave me less than satisfied.  They can sometimes appear to me, too pretty, or too gimmicky, too …

Experiments In Oil#2

Thanks for all your thoughtful and kind comments on experiment #1. Onto experiment #2.: Experiments #1 and #2 have photo challenges in common,  even though this surface is not shiny. These colors are somewhat brighter than the original and playing in PS didn’t get them right.  No glazing here, the paint was applied fresh but …

Experiments In Oil #1

I’m without a commission at the moment, so I’ve been pushing into “what if” territory in oil paint.  I’ve played with three paintings, all handled differently.  The subject is the same, though posture and expression vary greatly.  Above is the first.  I applied many more layers of glaze than I normally use, to see if …

Facelift

It’s been many years since I’ve worked on a self portrait.  It was time.  I’ve decided on a limited series, in order  to experiment.  This first oil painting is pretty straight forward, but distortions abound.   It’s a manual facelift.  Here’s the progression.  The changes in expression are awfully funny, (at least to me).  I’ve …

Pause #20

Editing.  Culling.  Selecting-  I’m curious: If you were to choose three of the strongest images to best represent contrasting nuances of expression, which would you choose?  OR  which of this grouping is the strongest image?  For the Pause Series.

Play/Pause

(There is now a “Pause” gallery  page on this blog.  The tab above or this click  will take you there.  Clicking on the Behance  Network will take you to an edited “Pause” gallery there as well.) Now loyal, patient friends, I will tell you in more personal words than you will read in my artist’s …

The Unsuccessful Portrait

(An unsuccessful portrait study and unsuccessful painting) A portrait by definition, must embody the personality, the light, the very being of a subject, filtered through the artist’s eyes.  Of course, this does not have to be in a traditional or figurative fashion.  But, if we are talking about a figurative portrait, a likeness of face, …