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Watch how Linda Paul creates a work of art!
The Creative Process
New Posting July 16, 2008
May 30, 2008
I have been thinking about a new painting for a
while now. It has been percolating (hint) in my busy
little brain. If I was ever on Survivor, and
they allowed me to bring one luxury good, it would
have to be coffee! Combine that with my desire to
live somewhere tropical like Hawaii and the birth of
a painting unfolds. I imagine a window (of course -
there is always a window), overlooking a misty
coffee plantation with a volcano in the background,
hanging coffee vines... I will have to add
some cool coffee cups, a coffee grinder, don't
forget cookies .
June 4, 2008
I have started the sketch for my coffee plantation
painting. I sketch in red chalk to channel the Renaissance
part of me. I start with the
background landscape of my plantation house and far
off volcano and mountains. I plan to have most of
the closer background in beautiful layered mists, so
that the plantation house and mountain peek out from
the mist. In the foreground I have drawn hanging
coffee beans ripening on the vine, and on the
right side, coffee plants in bloom. I am using the
blooms from Hawaiian Kona coffee. The beautiful
white blooms are called Kona Snow. I would much
prefer Kona snow in my life, all I have had is darn
cold Canadian and Colorado snow. I prefer flowers.
The only other items in the foreground at this stage
are a biscotti jars full of cookies and a couple
bags of coffee beans. I let my drawing unfold
organically, adding elements based simply on what I
want in the painting, then placing them based on
balance and positive and negative space.

click picture to see larger image
June 10, 2008
I have started the sculpting process on a 3/8" maple
board. I will sculpt all the major elements in
the foreground, leaving the background as just a
painted landscape.

June 17, 2008
I am almost finished the sculpting part of the art
work. The burlap coffee bags were quite the
challenge to sculpt, but I think I will have a neat
effect once I paint them. . I have added a coffee
cup, a Hershey's chocolate kiss and some cinnamon
sticks.

June 30, 2008
So as usual, I am not sure what colors I want to use
in this painting, so I decided to do a little study
painting of the burlap coffee bags and hanging
coffee plants. At first I had the background sky a
slate blue, but I did not like the cool tone it
cast, so I changed it to a latte coffee color.
Color is all about what color in next to it rather
than the color itself in isolation..

July 7, 2008
I like the color palette of my study (above), so I
am moving on with the big painting. I always start
with the background first and then move forward. The
background will be a tropical landscape of rich
vegetation, a plantation house and faint volcano. My
next step will be to layer mists onto the dark green
vegetation, softening the lines and creating the
feel of a misty, tropical morning

July 11, 2008
I have started to layer the background mists and
paint the sculpted coffee plants, leaves, flowers
and coffee beans which are ripening on the vine.
Coffee beans start out green and ripen through
stages of orange, then to red. They turn brown when
they are roasted. I have left very dark green
vegetation next to the window ledge because I plan
to have the coffee in the cup steaming and adding to
the mist.

July 16, 2008
I am starting to develop the foreground elements.
Color is tricky because it all has to work together.
I think I have finally decided what to do with the
bottom portion of the painting along the front ledge
of the shelf. I want to paint designs of coffee
flowers and beans on the vine. It should pull the
whole painting together and tie the top portion to
the bottom

click picture to see larger image
Watch this page to see how this
painting develops
see all
original paintings by artist Linda Paul
Want to tell me what you think of the new
painting?
email Linda
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