Palmerino Grapes @2010 Kelly Leahy Radding

Villa La Pietra Terracottas ©2010 Kelly Leahy Radding

Five down and one more to go… I have 5 days left to finish my final painting for Italy. The grapes were really fun, but I think I had more fun painting the iconic grape leaf. When I have a chance to breath next week I will put together a slideshow of the steps on the grape painting.

I finished the egg tempera painting Villa La Pietra Terracottas yesterday. As I was putting the shadow layer on the background, I somehow got some water on the palm of my hand and accidentally swiped it across the pot. I had already finished the pot. I remember sorta feeling like I had some water on my hand. I was working on the upper lighter wall just to the right of the pot. I picked up my hand and gasped. An entire swath of paint had been wiped off the whole pot and into the wall area. I couldn’t catch my breath! When this happens on a botanical and stuff gets into the clean background, well, let’s just say that is a bit of a disaster. Don’t ask me about the time I was working furiously to finish a deadline piece, and when answering a question from my husband, the throat lozenge I had been sucking on due to a cold, fell out and landed with a big ‘plop’ onto my painting. Suffice it to say, I salvaged it to the best of my abilities but worked well into the night to do so.

What a pleasant surprise to be working on an egg tempera on panel. The kind of painting that just takes re-working and more layers, and, voila, no more disaster! Although due to having to rework the painting, I got a later start on my final painting.

This week’s agenda is: finishing my final painting (I am keeping it a surprise and will post when it is done) and hopefully (!!) finishing a painting of an heirloom Granniwinkle apple for the ASBA/New York Horticultural Society Show, submissions due 3/26. I am submitting my heirloom shell bean painting but would like to have two entries if possible. The apple is at least a small painting!

Heirloom Granniwinkle Apple on vellum

I have to say, that I am happy to be painting so much but will be happy to have a little break; somewhere along the line I have to shear goats, sort through fleeces, get them to the mill and dye lots of yarn for all the spring Sheep & Wool Festivals I will be attending. Starting with the Connecticut Sheep & Wool April 24th and ending with the Maine Fiber Frolic June 5th & 6th with two others in-between!