Saturday, January 19, 2008
Debbie commented beneath "yes yes yes! Post painting construction!!! Facinating.... " so here is another step by step.
Step 1
An outline of a possible composition. As I said below I did not know whether this would become a nice or a disturbing painting. Working title at this stage was "Story Telling" but I knew that for some reason my figures tend to be darker in subject matter as well as about social issues concerning the weak in our world, women and children. My being a mum as well as a teacher of course has a huge inpact on my strong feelings about such issues.
What I know is that I have a circle of children and a grown up, That is all. I know nothing at this stage as to how realistic I will end up painting this or what colour sceme I'll end up chosing. the odds are that it will be semiabstract.
Step 2-3
I have now added a layer of raw umber green shade colour to the background and started blocking in the basic shapes. I can tell already that child figure no 2 will become my favourite. 
Step 4
I have started to block in some faceshapes, shoulders and legs
Step 5
A few more details on the kids and I have started on the big figure. I decided on letting it have little personal details. This is not a woman or a man, and we can not see what he or she looks like. I avoided details because I wanted to show mostly thye power this adult has and in this situation it does not matter whether the person is ogod or bad looking - he or she is scary or dangerous.
Children when drawing people that frighten them do something similar. I wanted some of that effect.
As for the children - they are not individuals but symbols of different children. We can see their difference through the small variations in body posture but in general they are feeling smll and powerless and makeing themselves smaller still.
The one in front is more relaxed though.
I also started on the floor and background.
Step 6
Adding more details and working more on the background.
Last step
After a few tweaks I signed it and that's it.
The last thing I do after having found a safe place to store it while it dries is to start cleaning up.
After that I start editing the photos. It is amazing how much time that takes. I usually take several photos and use the best. I usually need to crop and resize and rotate and more.
Then there is what I am doing now, presenting it on the blog.
The rest is getting it out there, talking to customers and people commenting it ( that I love) and maybe frame it. And if everything works out great then some day someone will purchase it and I will pack it and send it to its new home.
Powerless Children
medium: oil on canvas
size: 18x24cm
price: $ 100
p&p worldwide with International Priority Mail (4-7 days) is FREE
London: 6 Buckingham Street, London WC2N 6BU, UK • Phone:+44 (0) 20-7839-5456 • Fax:+44 (0) 20-7839-4012 • Email: ukinfo@equalitynow.org
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EQUALITY NOW WORKS FOR THE CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS OF WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD February 21, 2008
Dear Ms. Vogsland:
Thank you so much for your contribution of $100.00 to Equality Now. With your help, we are making a real difference in advancing our common vision of a world in which girls and women live free from violence and discrimination.
In 2007 we launched two campaigns in support of women in Iran and Afghanistan, deepened our commitment to stop the global trade in human lives by launching the Fund for Grassroots Activism to End Sex Trafficking, and succeeded in getting a strong New York State law criminalizing human trafficking passed. In the coming year we will continue our work in these and other campaigns, including shutting down sex tour operator G & F Tours, working for the passage of a law in Mali against female genital mutilation, and demanding justice for the women who have been abducted and murdered in Mexico.
We could not pursue our global fight to end human rights abuses against women and girls without your continued generosity. Thank you for your support.
Best wishes,
Amanda Sullivan
Director, Women’s Action Network
1 comments:
I just bought "Powerless Children" because I was an abused child and a molested child, although in a minor way compared to so many children. This painting is not a pretty painting, but it is a very accurate one. Those who abuse children physically, emotionally, mentally, or in any way have no excuse and they are truly ugly, like the artist has shown the adult to be in this painting. By abusing a child the abuser is abusing his or her power over a helpless, young human being, who should be able to go to any adult for help, not hurt. We should do our best to protect children from abuse and the scars that it leaves because children are our future. I am extremely happy that my money will go to Equality Now!
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