The Studios of Stacey Kirby

Today from 11am -4pm I’ll be working on a Treasures of Holley mural panel at Tillman’s Historic Village Inn, north of Albion on Rt 98.

Tillman’s was generous enough to invite members of the AAOC to exhibit their work every last Sunday of the month. I think it’s a brilliant idea – we appreciate any opportunity to show the community that we’re here, talented and motivated! The arts are alive and well in Orleans County. And of course the restaurant, well known for excellent prime rib dinners, will benefit by association with a high quality arts organization.

And of course the exposure for Treasures of Holley is great too – I hope to give out stacks of brochures!

I mentioned using a projector in a previous post (an LCD projector attaches to my laptop and projects an enlarged image of the photo reference onto the panel) – I am relying on that method to save me a lot of time this summer. But I have to admit that honestly, using a projector irritates me. It’s extremely practical in these situations, when your deadline is a little short of comfortable. (Or a lot short…who’s heard of a comfortable deadline anyway?)  But I would much rather sit for hours and fiddle with a drawing, working out the perspective and forms for myself. Projecting feels like cheating, even though it’s smart and necessary.

So in order to make myself feel better, and to illustrate that even when you project a photo you still need a lot of skill to finish the painting, I thought I would post some progress pictures! Now you can see what a projection actually provides (a few hints and guidelines) and how much the painter brings to it. Posting images of a painting when it’s so far from looking good is a little bit like standing in your underwear in the middle of a grocery store… but here goes!

At this very moment a thunderstorm has darkened my studio to the point where I had to stop painting. Which is a shame since I was really in a groove. Looking at this photo reminded me of where I started today and how much progress I made! Finally! For some reason the pottery was really challenging me, I can see plenty of errors in this photograph. Which brings me back to the point of this post.

The brown line drawing on the left is what I get after I use the projector. The crocks on the right represent stage 3, after I’ve layered in the ground color, and added a good range of values. In the background are wild slashes of paint that I applied while I was thinking about the walls – this would be stage 2, roughing in. Using this method, the reference is constantly re-observed.  I’m always making corrections and adjustments. In fact, I would say that because of all the layers placed over the original drawing, the projector is more of a compositional tool then a drawing tool… thus my perspective errors!  I turn on the projector and I can see where every element of the painting is going to go before I put a speck of paint on the board. Very handy.

…When I’ve had occasion to use a projector in the past, I remember thinking that it was more like an archaeological dig then a paint by number (which I know is what most people think when I tell that’s how I started a painting). The drawing provides obscure clues, often unrecognizable.You have to constantly refer to the photos in order to figure out what you’re painting and make corrections.

Now, if you are someone that has very little experience painting and you’re interested in creating a mural in your home, this method can work for you. Just use a very simple photo, ideally a cartoon or graphic image and your projection will be MUCH more helpful to you. If you try it, let me know how it works!

This coming Sunday I’ll be working on this panel at the Village Inn in Childs, NY. Sometime next week I’ll post some more progress photos and we can do a comparison.

The panel is nearly finished in this photo- just need to paint the leafy branch, bluebird and monarchs.

I had a great time painting at Junefest on Saturday. We were set up with the crafters along the path to the waterfall, between the canal and the pond. It was a gorgeous day! Sitting within a stones throw of the pond with trees and grass all around, sunshine, a nice breeze – what a relaxing, beautiful place spend the day painting!

Several of my Rotary ToH partners were there to explain the project, accept donations, and answer questions. More then anything else, I was looking forward to hearing what the public thought about Treasures of Holley. Whenever I create a mural in my studio, I wonder how people will react and this is especially true for a public project. So many people, so many different opinions! As I worked on the mural under the tree, I was happy to hear plenty of “Wow! That’s gorgeous!” which is exactly the reaction I’m going for.

Today I put the finishing touches on the bluebird and monarchs, the last elements of the Waterfall panel. I hate to play favorites, but I’m very happy with the bluebird. All of those layers of purple, blue and grey kept me wondering if it was going to come out right. Adding the highlights brought it all together and the layers lend a life-like quality to the painting. The variety of color in nature is amazing!

While I know there are a few things I would like to adjust in the Waterfall panel, it’s time to start the next one. In fact, I’ll be working on two simultaneously in the hopes of making leaps of progress before the end of June! Both “Further Points of Interest” and “Origins of Holley” will be taking shape in the next week. They’re whole and complete in my imagination, but it will take many hours of work to bring them to life.

You can see all three at the Orleans County Fair, the last week of July. I’ll be working in the Trolley building, outside if the weather is nice. I’m excited that it’s working out! I’ve been painting at the fair since I was in high school in one form or another (mostly facepainting) so it’s nice to continue the tradition. The first demonstrations will be scheduled to take place there. I’ll post more details as they’re available.