How Long Did It Take? - Answers to Consider

Metal Flashing Detail from By the Old Mill © 2019 April M Rimpo

Artists are often asked "How long did it take you to paint this?" Granted some take longer than others depending on a myriad of factors:

• Even if you are working from your own source photos, there is often research needed about your subject to be able to create a good design.
• Deciding on a color scheme - Color could be driven by the emotion you want to portray or could be influenced by a client's preferences. 
• The amount of detail in the painting - applies to both realistic and non-objective work where details may be more in the realm of textures needed to communicate the thoughts and feelings behind the work.
• In representational painting - the variety of materials you're simulating in your painting - such as metal, brick, cement, wood, glass, undergrowth in woods, rusted tools, a snarl of fallen trees, water, vines, a sprinkling of fallen leaves, pottery, delicate crystal, various types of fruit, clothes, crocheted items, intricate fabrics. The list is endless all requiring different approaches to creating them. 
• How you plan to present the work - framed, gallery wrapped, varnished all require different considerations even before you start the painting.

Detail - Vines growing on brick,
and reflections in windows
© 2019 April M Rimpo

As a result, when asked this question, I may answer with a little bit about the process I used to create the painting, since I suspect that might be more what the person is curious about.  I don't mean a technical description full of words that are understood only by artists, but a more general description.  

I may also talk about the inspiration and what I had to do to be sure the story or emotion of the moment was captured in the painting.

I recently finished a painting with many details and a variety of materials simulated in the painting. As a result, this painting took much longer than many of my paintings, but is that really want you want to learn about the painting?  I don't think so. Much of the time was spent figuring out how to represent each of the materials. 

I've included some detail images of my painting, By the Old Mill, to let you see up close how different each of these sections are. Perhaps less obvious is how different the painting application is to create the look of metal versus brick and vines, water, detailed branches and the illusion of distant undergrowth in the wood.

Detail from By the Old Mill - A Snarl of Branches and Water © 2019 April M Rimpo

Detail - The Illusion of undergrowth in the woods 
© 2019 April M Rimpo

Those who read my newsletter got a sneak peek at the whole painting, but I'm not sharing it widely since I plan to include this painting in an upcoming feature of my work.

If you'd like to learn more, just ask.  

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