Contemporary Art, collector art, Flaming Jade by Deborah Chapin

writeup
Contemporary Art, collector art “Flaming Jade” 24×36 oil painting on linen canvas by Deborah Chapin.  To date unvarnished .  

“Flaming Jade” is part of my Book of Water Project, a contemporary art piece I’ve been working on is just about finished I believe. I may tweak it a bit more as I move on to others, but it is definitely getting the feel I have been looking for. I think that there is just no rushing a piece, you have to just keep evolving with the painting. There is a process to painting as you delve into the work you see more and more. It is always amazing to me how much my mind controls what I see and how controlling my mind, i.e. telling it what to focus on achieves different levels of seeing. For example when I start out my focus is on line overall shapes and design or composition, so that is where the focus is. I can’t really see all the things that will eventually be important as I develop the piece. I can’t necessarily see the nuance of line while I am doing the broad overall shapes, or the subtle shading that will eventually form the eye, or that nuanced tone creating those high cheek bones nor the point of light that will form the shoulder. Each layer of work reveals new things and this is the difference between the artist and the photographer. Nothing against photographers but the artist is a delver, an explorer of the nuanced and brilliant together. The inner world of the artist’s mind in combination with the outer world. You see not only the subject but the feelings the artist has about the scene the back and forth to find that nano-nuance that tells the story.

In addition, this is the first set of works employing the costume. With this piece I hand stitched ruffles, a lot of ruffles, not in an attempt at high couture but to tell the story in movement, color and reminiscence of the ruffles of the Flamenco. The pose tells the story of the pride and strengths of women, firery, fierce and in control. This is just the beginning of costume as an aid to story telling about which I’m really jazzed, because it adds so much dimension of the final work. See the short film taken of the final piece below.

About the Artist
My Online Studio is an extension of my studio. When you enter you are entering my studio but without the housekeeping. I offer fine art in original oil paintings on linen and also canvas prints of favorite original pieces. Most of my originals in the past 20 years have been painted en plein air ( on location) I have lectured and made film presentation at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, exhibited at the Louvre, and museums through out the world See my Exhibition History
The next 30 years I expect to be doing a combination of unusual water portrait work and collector’s favorite, my beach scenes with people. If you have questions feel free to ask.  https://gallery.deborahchapin.com/contact-2

Artist’s  
I have painted every subject known to woman at this point, starting with marine art, coastals, seascapes, florals and landscapes en plein air (on location) I am now branching out to portraits and figurative work and add it to my skills and eventually incorporate it into my seascapes. I am excited to see where it goes and how it evolves. Currently I am taking on a project of underwater portrait paintings and figure work. I began this portfolio with the economic downturn because the expense and personal considerations made travel impossible. I have been painting water in all its various forms and moods for 35 years and this subject matter appealed to me because it combined something I knew well with something I was just beginning to learn. The objective wasn’t to do a photo realistic painting but rather to capture the essence of the subject and the spirit of the model. Water often represents the border between this world and the next but that need not be the dark side of that connotation and to my mind it is uplifting and full of life and movement. I am seeking to depict the inside dynamic of an individual using water to carry light and movement through the subject. What I’m trying to depict is the spirit of women, not as the languid object but instead as a dynamic, spirited, strong and intellectually thoughtful individual. Water is a freeing medium, releasing the subject from the constraints of the ordinary and from gravity it also doesn’t allow for “the pose” with the difficulty of control comes movement and life into the depiction and a certain serendipity which I have always found to be an inspiration. I use the natural light because again it the opposite of the darkness it represents life and vitality and enhances the strength of light patterns and movement lines.