Work on golden frames

More frames but golden frames!!!

I like the dark color frames but many of my paintings look better and brighter with golden frames. It's magic how the colors of my paintings pop out with the golden frames. So, I just have to have more of them. And they too, all need to be ready for the up coming show in the early spring next year.

They do look nice but require lots of work. Unlike the dark frames only need 2 to 3 times of stain work, these golden ones need to go through the whole process at least 4 to 5 times. This morning I worked on these golden babies for almost 4 hours. I couldn't continue in the afternoon because my back was killing me and they weren't even half way finished. Well, I just have to hang on and keep working tomorrow.

Remember, Glory comes after suffering!

Working on frames!

Voilà, there are two sizes painting frames stained for the first time. Now, I have to wait until they are dried completely so I can sand them and paint them again. I have to repeat the process at least 2 to 3 more times because I want a darker stain color.

I did wear my gloves when I was working on those frames. I paint this extra one just to take this picture to show you.

This is the most exhausting part of this job. My fingers, arm and back hurt!

Most of these costume made frames aren't perfectly fit. ( maybe I ask too much?!) There are many gaps and some of them even come with bad wood. Those are extra work that I didn't expected to do when I ordered them. Well, I can't ask too much here in Belize either. I should be grateful that the carpenter friend of mine does take my order to make those semi finished frames for me at least. What I wanted originally for my plein air paintings are those carving gold wooden frames. But, they cost too much and I'm not sure if the framing shops here could deliver with quality I want. So, I change my plan and choose the opposite color for the frames, "dark stain". Couple months ago, I did prepared some frames with gold paint myself but the result didn't please me too much. 

Guess everything I need is here.
Sand papers, wood filler with pallet knife, stain with brush.

Apron and gloves are essential to keep my cloth and hands clean.

Preparing painting frames

Work waits to be done!!!!
These are custom made semi finished painting frames for my plein air. I have to cover the gaps with wood filler first. This is the work I was supposed to do yesterday but the wood filler was too dry to be used. So I bought a bottle of aceton to be ready to mix with it. 

(Plein air) Yellow Sail

Plein air painting
Oil on panel.  8.5 x 9.6 inches (27 x 22cm)

I can't believe that this little plein air took me 3 hours. I can finish a 4 times larger portrait in 3 three hours! I really can't believe that I'm getting that slow...and I'm not happy with it!!! Oh! I'm driving myself crazy. Well, I think I made a mistake by painting the buildings first. I should've paint everything all together. 

(Plein air) Green Boat

Plein air painting
Oil on board.  10 x 7 inches (25.5 x 17.5cm )

(Plein air) There boats on Belize Harbour

Plein air painting
Oil on board.  10 x 7 inches (25.5 x 17.5cm)

The deck of the Cafe Spoonaz in Belize City is a very pleasant place to do my work. Guess I'll stay here and do plein air until I have enough! It's always about the harbour of Belize. You see boats, fishermen, buildings, sea and sky but everyday is different. I need to figure it out how to paint it with more"grey" or I call it mudy color. What I have now its too blue. I really have to fix it. 

(Plein air) Backside of Belize Supreme Court

Plein air painting
Oil on board.  10 x 7 inches (25.5 x 17.5 cm)

This is the back side of Belize Supreme Court. It's a beautiful building and the clock on top of the roof makes it unique. What matters to me is the light and the shadow. Now, I do regret that I didn't get my tripod's umbrella when I went to Taiwan last month. Very often now, I have to give up the angle I want because my canvas and pallete are all under the sun. I can't see their colors clearly and it misguides the judgement. It's the same problem when it's too dark, like the one I did at the theater Bliss.

(Plein air) Belize Magistrate Court

Plein air painting
Oil on board.   10 x 7 inches (25.5 x 17.5 cm)

I wanted to paint the building of Suprem Cout of Belize this morning but the light didn't fall at the right place. Instead I painted Magistrate Court that was just next to it. I think this will be the first one. There will be more of these old colonial buildings. 

(Plein air) A Blue Rehearsal

Plein air painting
Oil in board.   10 x 7 inches ( 25.5 x 17.5 cm)

It looks so blue!!! I was trying really hard to add red and purple while I was working on it. I knew that it needed purple to bring out the blue. And it was needed for the shadow too. I think the corner where I was working is too dark. My eyes played a trick on me. The ceiling is too light too! It was very dark and I thought that I should've painted a little lighter. Voilà, its too light now. 

(Plein air) Two boats on a Raining day

Plein air painting
Oil on board.   10 x 7 inches (25.5 x 17.5 cm)

It was a nice cloudy morning when i began to set my tripod. And then it began to rain for about 15 minutes. Although the sun came out later but I liked how the whole scene looked when it was raining. It has cooler colors. I really enjoy painting here. Tranquil and feels peaceful.

Drawing at the Bliss rehearsal

Drawing
Pencil on drawing paper
19 x 13 cm

As usual, I drove my two girls to their orchestra rehearsal this evening to prepare for this Sunday night's concert. I decided not to draw people and just focused on the interior atmosphere. The door was opened and it created a very interesting entrance light but somehow they closed it after I worked for almost hour and half. Gladly I had the image fixed in my head. I managed to finish this drawing. Guess, next time I would want to paint with oil!

(Plein air) Belize Swing Bridge on Harbour

Plein air painting
Oil on board.   10 x 7 inches (25.5 x 17.5 cm)

When I finished this painting, I was surprised about how much time I spent on it. It was three hours! Guess I was working under the shade with breeze. So comfortable that I took my time to work. I still remember last time when I was working on this same spot but different side, I was almost cooked. Here on my picture I took, you see no one but there's about dozen of fishermen sit behind my working site chatting and waiting to go out to work. They talked gently and were very polite with me. No wonder I left precious time behind me!

(Plein air) Illusion of Green Sea

Plein air painting
Oil on board.   8.5 in x 9.6 in(27 x 22cm)

Back to the sea! My all time favorite subject to paint. 

(Plein air) Cerulean Blue Belize Harbour

Plein air painting
Oil on board.   8.5 in x 9.6 in (27 x 22cm)

Another Belize Harbour plein air.
Guess I'll stop for now until I get inspired again. Instead of sunny day, I'll wait a cloudy or raining day to continue. I felt less tense painting this work because it's the second time I painted here. I knew well what I wanted to capture. I wanted to paint this work in a more abstract way somehow I felt that its still overworked. Otherwise, I do feel more confidence painting the sea.

(Sketch) Lonesome Afternoon

Sketch
Pencil on drawing paper
3.5 in x 5 in (8.9 x 12.7cm)

Why? "lonesome afternoon"!

This morning I had my shoulder sunburned while doing the harbour plein air. Now I regret to wear sleeveless shirt while working outdoor. And that wasn't the worst. I couldn't wear my straw hat because of the wind. So, my head, my face were facing the sun for two hours and thirty minutes. Fortunately my eyes had covered with my sunglasses otherwise I couldn't hold on that long. After that, my head felt like a lightbulb until this afternoon. Yes, it was until this afternoon when I went to pick up my daughter from her school. Although the sun was still hot but I noticed the sky was grey covered with white clouds. I couldn't tell why but there's a strange feeling creeping up on me. I parked my car on the almost empty street. Since I arrived early, there weren't much car parked there. I could see through the whole street until the blue sea. The sky wasn't clear blue at all. It was a kind of grey color that we don't see often. It was a "lonesome grey color" to me. I believe, sometimes, I'm too sentimental or I have too much imaginations. Yea, it was a lonesome afternoon!

( Plein air) Belize Harbour in the Morning

Plein air painting
Oil on board.   8.5 in x 9.6 in (27 x 22cm)

Yes. "Belize Harbour in the morning". This is the third painting I did at this harbour. Each of them has different angle but looks quite similar because of the boats! After I posted the first one, I found out that this subject pleases people more than other in general. Why? Because the boats look cute? Or, because the whole scene looks more colorful? Or, its because I rarely paint boats?

Drawing at the Wesley Church tonight

Drawing
Pencil on drawing paper.   19cm x 13cm

I did this drawing at the 9th Annual Evening of Patriotic Songs & Poems at the Wesley Methodist Church in Belize City tonight. My two girls' orchestra played along with other groups of musicians and choirs to celebrate this event. There's lot of people, senior people mostly with good old tradition and I felt lots of love going around. I was tired but I felt honoured to be part of this event. This is the true Belize that the young generation of Belize should recognize.

Drawing on Music Rehearsal at the Bliss

Drawing
Pencil on drawing paper.  19cm x 13cm

I did this drawing at my girls' music rehearsal at the Bliss Performing Arts at the Belize City. Mr. Francis Reneau is the conductor and composer of these wonderful music. 

(Plein air) Poetry night

Plein air
Oil on board.   15.5 x 22.5cm

I forgot to take a picture while I was working on this piece! Every three weeks, there's a poetry night in Belize City. We call it " 501 Spokenwords". Sometimes I read my poems. Very often, I sketch them. And, most of the time, I simply listen. Tonight, I was trying to capture the light. Or let's say, I was looking for its mood.

(Studio work) Swirling Red Pinkish Flowers

Studio Work

Oil on canvas.  60cm x 80cm

Do you see the difference between the two of the paintings? Well, right after I published the post, I decided that I had to add some orange color to the yellows and  some light green to open up the fence. Mmm... I feel much better now!

This studio work is based on the following plein air I did last month in Taiwan at my parents garden. I like its vibrant color. I also like how the round little stones surrounded the flower bed. My mom told me that she and my dad drove for 3 hours just to find those beautiful objects from the sea side. I remember that when we went up to my parents mountain house on the weekends, there were many people especially families visiting that area. For that specific reason, I add some figures on my studio piece and paint the stones more visible. Now it looks very different from its plein air version.

Plein air painting
Oil on canvas.   9 1/2 in x 7 3/4 in (24.5 x 19cm)