Dena Tollefson Contemporary Paintings: September 2010

Saturday, September 25, 2010

New Corn Series painting: Marie Antoinette: "Let Them Eat Corn"

by Dena Tollefson

Here is my latest Corn Series painting - and a step-by-step of what it looked like in process. This blog posting is a continuation of my June 15, 2010 post entitled Painting Demonstration: Corn at the Window: Marie Antoinette (Let Them Eat Corn).

I had set this painting aside until August to concentrate on a commissioned painting. Got a great ear of corn from Knights's farm, put the spotlight on in the studio, and got to work. Here's the photo of the next step with the fields started and the kernels developing...

The final steps to complete this corn painting were to restate the light around Marie and the window, and add details of the stalks of corn up closest to the window. I reglazed the distant sky at the horizon with a combination of titantium white and a bit of cad yellow. Also worked on the reflected light hitting the kernels on Marie's side opposite the window. I added cad orange highlights in her corn silk hair. Below is the completed painting.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Goya's Disasters of War Exhibit at Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

by Dena Tollefson
http://www.denatollefson.com/

I attended a really neat lecture on Goya's Disasters of War copper plate etching prints at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art this past Thursday.
The speaker was Phil Lasansky, son of artist Mauricio Lasansky, who with his wife Lori, own over 300 Goya prints. It was interesting to hear his insight contrasting his father's style, whose small print editions allow focus on individual work with hand coloring or other special details, with Goya's, where multiple identical prints were made with each larger print run, intending to bring the work to the masses.

Francisco Goya was a court painter during the war and these prints were a record of his reaction to the horrors of the Peninsula War between France and Spain in the years 1807-1814- he kept this graphic and grisly body of work quiet- perhaps to not conflict with his role as court painter to royalty. He made this war record of 80 different images with copper plates- 7 print editions were made after his death. The Lasanskys own several sets, prints on loan to the museum are a complete 7th edition print (second best print - after the 1st edition- the original copper plates were faced with steel in a process to make the plates better able to withstand the rigors of the printing press).

I was very impressed with Phil's in-depth working knowledge of printmaking process and his focus and dedication to collecting. Click here to learn more about Goya's Disasters of War etchings on loan to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art- the exhibit runs until December 12th, 2010.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Thank you Carl and Mary Koehler History Center- Corn County Exhibit!

by Dena Tollefson
http://www.denatollefson.com/

Here are photos of the Carl and Mary Koehler History Center Corn County Exhibit where 6 of my Corn Series corn paintings are displayed now through May 2011. I attended the opening day Saturday, Aug 23rd. It is a great exhibit- colorful, well-curated and very informative. Melanie Alexander did an outstanding job- the lighting and signage are expecially nice. Check it out!