Sunday, January 3, 2010

TERESA'S PORTRAIT

I finally got back to this portrait of Teresa, using some opaques to help mold her features. Then I found out there was an older, unfinished painting on the back! So gessoed over that rather thickly and hapharzardly with white gesso and let it dry. And then the artboard (it's painted on a piece of All Media Artboard) was a bit bowed in the middle so I tensed it a bit to straighten it and...

it cracked...

right in the middle...

right over her head!!!



I tried to fix/hide it by gessoing thinly all over the crack and around the white areas in the background. But the crack still looked like it was there when the gesso dried.

So I used white artist tape and taped it just at the crack and then painted the line to hide the tape (which it doesn't do well but I had to try something).

I wanted to mail this to Teresa for her birthday - her birthday is tomorrow and it has to go to Spain - so that isn't going to happen. Now I'm afraid if I don't wrap it in a dozen layers of paper and bubble wrap and stuff, it will get there in 2 pieces!

Such is life.

I have begun another, same pose, same photo reference...this time on 140# watercolor paper. Not sure it will get done, though, as lethargic as I am - maybe I should do a quick watercolor sketch on small paper?!?

12 comments:

debwardart said...

Too funny - you may have a future as a drywall finisher!!! (I'm sure she will be happy with it, whenever it reaches her!)

Pam Johnson Brickell said...

Curses! It's looking good too :)

Deb Léger said...

Soooooo, you're saying Teresa cracked up? ROTFLOL! And what will Miss Teresa say to that? Can't wait to find out. Nice painting though, Rhonda! I guess you just have to take it as a lesson learned, right?

ps - Teresa will know I'm just kidding!

Christiane Kingsley said...

That crack was most unfortunate since the portrait is so lovely.Could you glue it to some stiff backing that would ensure its safe travel to Spain?

RH Carpenter said...

Deb, I can work in small areas so maybe drywall for dollhouses?
Thanks for the comments, Pam, Deb (you are sooo bad!!! ha ha), and Christiane. I may just have to try to get it to her if this paper painting doesn't turn out. I don't want to do a poor job because this will be the 4th try and I have to say I'm not used to doing more than 2 paintings of the same thing most of the time = can you spell L A Z Y??

Sandy Maudlin said...

So have you thought about making it crack a couple of more places to make it look like it was planned? Might work, but I doubt it. So sorry it happened. It is a vibrant and deliciously intense painting.

Cindi said...

you silly lady.. im sure you are flustered.. but you have me in stitches...i can see you runing around trying to fix and no matter what you do you have humpty dumpty... i hope you find a way to put her back together again... nice painting and if she like most ladies.. skipping birthdays or pushing them back its ok.. a few more days of being a year younger works for most of us.. happy new year!! :)

Cathy Gatland said...

Aargh! How can that happen to such a nice portrait!? I wonder if you couldn't make the repairs part of the texture of the painting, like Roz of Rozworks does in her journals - as if they were meant to be there?

RH Carpenter said...

Ah, Sandy, Cindi and Cathy, I think if it hadn't been a portrait, a few well-placed cracks would be okay but I'm sure Teresa wouldn't want cracks on her face - she's only 34 - just a young one - but you're right about pushing the birthday back a bit...I may get it to her sometime this month so it's her Birthday Month!

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Oh poor you just when you have a deadline to send the portrait. I think the idea of a new work, treating all you have done so far as practice, will really result in a very spontaneous, fresh portrait you will be so proud of. We have a saying over here and is even on cards one can purchase - BELATED GREETINGS - so get to it girl.!!

Have adored all your MOON PAINTINGS. Wonderful colours and compositions.

Teresa Palomar Lois said...

How could you crack my head up Rhon!? tsk! tsk! tsk! X)

Such bad luck whe it was going so well sweetie, but don't worry! I still love it! even more now after you added those opaques, when I read about it I thought the crack would be much obvious but it isn't.

Hey, can you believe how evil Deb is? *points finger at Deb and stick out my tongue* ^_^ Deb, do you mean I'm nuts? get it? cracked head, nutcracker, head = nut, ok forget about it, it's a stupid joke :P

Rhon, I expect to get my birthday portrait someday this month ;), girl now I get what you meant the other day about being my birthday month LOL better late than never (oh, this post is almost an email, isn't it?)

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Joan and Teresa! Teresa, I'm glad you like it enough to still want it and I'll pack it tightly and securely to make the trip to Spain - yes, I knew it wasn't going out the door until after your real birth DAY but since it's your birth MONTH, it will be okay!