Who said finger painting is only for young children? Not Me!

The Only Tools Used On This Painting ..

Were my Hands! This was one of the first wine themed oil paintings I ever made. This one was completed back in 2007 and close to the time when my wife bought me several types of oil painting supplies, in an effort to re kindle my interest in the hobby. I was sort of frustrated with the brushes and knives at this point, so I decided to just use my hands; My palm, my finger tips, and my nails. As you look through the pictures, you will be able to see some of these details. Most of my frustration with brushes and such, most likely stemmed from my lack of education of how to use them. You know what though? It was actually very fun and energizing to paint this way.

The Painting ..

Is an oil painting, measuring 12 inches by 14 inches, and it remains unnamed for now. The light is coming into the frame/scene from the right hand side, creating reflections on the glass, label, wine glass and grapes. The Shadowing skirts off to the left and downward, helping to create the idea of light passing through the still life. The whole over all feel of the painting is warm and dark, as one can see with my choices of darker and warmer colors. I didn't use any reference materials or pictures when painting this, but maybe should have, given the lack of some details and the disproportionate features. For example the size of the glass as it relates to the bottle sitting in front of it. Many people may not notice this type of thing. As the artist who painted it, it bothers me. There is nothing I can do about it now, but I did learn to take depth of field and proportion into account on later projects.

As For The Bottle ..

I think I did a pretty good job on it considering I never painted glass like this before. I was able to achieve that dark green, almost black look, of a bottle holding a Merlot or Cab wine type. Sure, the neck of the bottle is a little crooked and ends a bit short, but I was running out of room at the top of the canvas. It was an amateur mistake, and one I try not to commit over again. I suppose it adds some visual interest, if I am looking on the positive side of it.

Overall, the top of the bottle, including the rim, seal, and cork, all look good. Realistic enough, but with some rough, finger paint strokes to add that interesting detail. If you look closely, you can see where I used my finger tip versus where I used my fingernails.

I decided not to add any writing or fine detail into the label portion of the painting. By just adding a few dabs of yellow, pink, and magenta, it sort of tricks your mind into thinking that there are pictures or writing present. At the end of the painting, I stroked a few broad lines in with my finger to represent reflected light or highlights. It all looks a little messy, but that was the style that I was going after.

Moving On To The Glass Of Wine ..

We already covered the fact that it is NOT in the right proportion, when compared to the bottle and their relative placement from one another. As far as the detail goes, they are a little lacking, but I was painting with my fingers. I think that the detail I was able to achieve with fingernails, is not all that bad. I also did a pretty good job with the wine and wine color. My only fault at this point in time, and given my experience level and knowledge, was I did not use any blues. The blue color would of given a more realistic dark tone as far as shading goes.

The Grapes ..

Oh they are lovely to eat, but hard to paint. They didn't come out to look all that bad, but yet again, a bit more tonal value (dark and light areas) would have helped. The use of blue as shading would have worked out perfectly here. The stem has a bit more black in it than originally intended, but I chose a background color that was too close to the color of the stems, therefore they disappeared on the first application of paint. I added the black and all was right again. A few touches of white highlighting, and they were complete! Surprisingly, they were pretty easy to paint with my finger tips.

Finishing The Painting ..

If I knew the painting was going to be hanging on the wall next to my fridge, without a frame, I would have finished it by painting the edges. I did not, so I really should frame this piece, yet it still hangs here unframed. Every day I look at it and don't notice the unfinished edges any longer. So I am in the clear, right? My wife and I have gotten used to it being here and being frame-less. At least I think she has.. She hasn't complained about it, but after reading this post she probably will :-/

The other side of the canvas is a bit messier. Maybe just a simple piece of stained wood would work nicely enough. Just a little something to finish it off. To think after all these years, it would be happy to receive a little attention. I would be happy as well, since after writing this post I will most likely be thinking about it more often than not. Just one last note.. the coloring goes well with the color of the wood and paint in our kitchen. A good match that is also meaningful.

Here's The Finished Painting One Last Time ..

A little trip down memory lane isn't a bad thing. I am also remembering who believed in me enough to buy me the supplies I needed to paint this piece, my wife! She's my true love, who really is special and awesome. She knew that I was interested in trying my hand at art (again) and came up with a very personal and thoughtful gift. That gift had really started a Journey for me. A journey that has thus far given me meaning and value. It has been my therapy, my mental escape, and opened a world of creativity in an otherwise cruel one. In a way it also brought me here, to Steemit, writing a blog post about what a piece of my art means to me. What creating something feels like.

Priceless!

Thanks for listening (aka reading). I appreciate those moments of your time :-)

Inspiration ..

Believe me, I get plenty of inspiration seeking done on the weekends, for paintings such as these. Pepper along for the moral support and he is our designated driver if things get out of hand. The vineyard has a funny way of taking hold of you. Scroll to the bottom for a Molly pic.. I didn't forget about her :-)

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.

About Me ~ The Artist

My art work incorporates a wide variety of subject matter, including landscape, seascape, cityscape, and still life images. My works are the product of a continuing process of exploration through which I seek to portray personal and visionary interpretations of my surroundings. My paintings are impressions of places and events from everyday life, an interpretation of my imagination, and personal responses to what I see and feel on a daily basis. More recently I have invested generous amounts of time into my landscape painting. I am surrounded by natural and man made beauty, which inherently presents itself in the tri-state area, and almost demands that I paint it.

Not everything is art. Art is not everything, but it comes close. Art is everywhere and all the time. Art makes you experience the beauty of the world, the people in it, and the places we call home. Art itself is so influential that it can tell stories, show feelings, and express passion or fury. Art exists in addition to language; expression of sensations and thoughts, revealing a way of thinking too subtle and delicate for words.

For me art requires love, honesty and perseverance. In return, it reveals some personal, non-analyzable, and creative untamed passion. For the public, art with its magnificent beauty, improves mood and health and builds better human beings and communities. It engages the intellect, softens the heart, strengthens the soul and frees the spirit.

If Your Interested In Purchasing Any Of My Work:

They can be found for sale in

My Facebook Shop

OR

My Etsy Store

If you don't see the piece in either shop, It may still be drying. Let me know and I can upload it as soon as possible to be available. Or you can always make me an offer (in SBD or STEEM) in the comments section of this post. If we agree on a price, I will then ship the painting to you. (shipping costs will be determined by your location).

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"Age appears best in four things: Old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read." – Francis Bacon

Having Old Dogs as old friends counts too!