I was commissioned to create a very unique bowl where the bark would be completely removed, and the entire bowl would be painted. After the bark was removed and sanded down where I could draw and paint on it, I proceeded to sketch out the leaves and paint them. Due to the curves and angles it was not an easy task to create the leaves in a way that would not only not be warped, but proportional.I ended up not only painting over the sketches, but sanding it all down myself again to start all over. Eventually, I got the hang of it and sketched out the leaves where I wanted them to be. Then came the paint, and what a task that was! Trying to create it semi realistic enough where they actually looked like leaves, and were still interesting enough to look at took some time. When I started to cover the entire bowl with black my heart sank. The beautiful grain of the wood was disappearing before my eyes and I thought the piece would be too simple, but it surprisingly seemed to create a sort of mood that was needed. I actually really like the way this bowl came out and the client was extremely impressed. Im not sure if i would do it again, simply because I love see the raw wood along side the paint. Let me know what you guys think.
Aug18
Ramblings of an Artist 