Double-Sided (secret!) Portrait Paintings

by In Portrait Tagged , , , , ,
Double-Sided oil painting, adult and child Rebecca Luncan

Sasha, as Adult and Child
oil on rotating aluminum panels
6.75″ x 5.5″ x 3.5″ (framed)

A wedding and 75th birthday (the two events happened just a day apart!) were marked by the gift of these two paintings.

Bill delivered them into the hands of his new husband whose daughters are featured in these double-sided portraits: two beautiful sisters, painted in turn as cute little girls and then as lovely, happy adults. I was very impressed at how Bill was able to keep the commission secret from the whole family as he scoured every nook and cranny to find the perfect images. He found the ones from when they were kids hiding in a box in the garage.

A gallery is in the works of more interactive double-sided paintings for the website. I love the endless possibilities and have made many variations on this theme. Keep an eye out for it in the next few weeks. Until then, you’re welcome to take a look at my gallery of portrait commissions, which includes both traditional one-sided and multi-sided works.

My heartfelt congratulations to the newly-wedded couple and their family! It was a pleasure and an honor to paint your daughters.

Double-Sided oil painting, adult and child Rebecca Luncan

Colby, as Adult and Child
oil on rotating aluminum panels
6.75″ x 5.5″ x 3.5″ (framed)

 

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Painting on Copper – May Monthly Miniature

by In Materials and Techniques Tagged , , , , , , , ,

My second Monthly Miniature of Charlemagne the rabbit, follows a 500 year tradition of painting on copper primed with a clove of garlic.

Lavinia_Fontana_-_Self-Portrait_in_a_Tondo_-_WGA7986

Lavinia Fontana (1552-1614)-Self-Portrait in a Tondo, 1597, oil on copper

Paintings on copper have been made by European artists since the mid 1500’s. Many examples from those first few hundred years survive even better than their canvas and wood panel counterparts.

Then as now, copper surfaces are first lightly sanded, cleaned with denatured alcohol, and topped with an optional layer of garlic juice. Garlic juice etches the surface of the copper and it’s most effective if followed by a coat of lead white. The process hasn’t changed over the years, except many more artists today (myself included) avoid the highly toxic lead white paint.

Artists don’t often get to grow their own art supplies. The garden is another huge creative outlet for me, and now a tiny bit of it is in this painting.

Fearsome Bală stalking in the garlic patch, Photo credit: Evan Grim

My cat, Bală stalking in the garlic patch, Photo credit: Evan Grim

Check out Alberti’s Window, An art History Blog for an in depth discussion about Lavinia Fontana’s self-portrait above in reference to her being a female painter in the 1500’s.

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Bride of Frankenstein Painting Complete – She’s Alive!!

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Mismatched Portrait (Bride of Frankenstien) Oil Painting by Rebecca Luncan

Mismatched Portrait (Bride of Frankenstien) Oil on aluminum, 4″ x 6″

An unusual portrait commission, but I would expect nothing less from the best college roommate a gal could have.

A portrait commission of Elsa Lanchester in her brief but iconic role in the 1935 version of  The Bride of Frankenstein is finished! The painting started out as almost entirely monochromatic in the style of my Mismatched Portraits, with a predominate indigo pallet but I added just a touch of dark maroon. When almost finished, I began adding bright cadmium red in the darkest blacks. I love adding straight cadmium red in very small brushstrokes. It’s a thrill to me that a color that intense can become rather subtle. It’s like a secret.

Thank you for the commission, Jennifer! I hope you like it! It was so nice to make it just for you.

 

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Paintings of Rabbits: A New Miniature Painting, Every Month for One Year

by In Monthly Miniature Tagged , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
Rabbit miniature oil paintin on aluminumg by Rebecca Luncan

Ellie, oil on aluminum, 4 1/2″ x 3″

This miniature painting of a rabbit marks the beginning of a big commitment.

It may not seem like much in the world of countless artists hosting “daily painting” blogs, but it’s a big deal for me. While continuing to make all of my other, larger works and commissioned pieces, I will make one miniature painting of a rabbit every month.

This first miniature is of my bunny Eleanor, who sits under my desk with her brother Charlie when I paint. House rabbits are a bit of work to keep out of trouble (chewing anything from cords to sofas) but once you get them trained and your house bunny-proofed, they’re a lot of fun. Having a rabbit run and leap onto the rug in front of you makes it all worth while.

Thanks for looking and I hope you check back the first Monday of the Month to see more of the miniatures as they progress!

Hand Finished Antique Frame

Each of the paintings of rabbits will be framed and ready to hang when posted. Although they are very small, they sometimes take a surprisingly long time to paint. I’ve also been known to spent almost as much time on the frame, so it adds up to a lot of work. The frames for this series were sent to me from my sister, Theresa, who found dozens of unfinished, dirty and wonderful wooden frames from the 1920’s. Below you can see what the frame on Ellie looked like just before the wonders of the french polish.

Antique Frame - French Polish in progress

Antique Unfinished Frame – French Polish in progress

 

Bride of Frankenstein Painting Begins!

by In In Progress Tagged , , , ,

Bride_of_Frankenstien_Bunny_oil_painting_underpainting

I’ve been commissioned to do a portrait of The Bride of Frankenstein from the 1935 film starring Elsa Lanchester. The commission was influenced by a current body of work that I call Mismatched Portraits, and my fabulous patron, Jennifer, who is also an artist, invited me to compose it any way I liked.  This is an image showing the very first stages of the underpainting.

I’ve also included some of the first paintings completed in this series below.

Contemporary Portrait Painting of John Wayne, OIl on aluminum panel, by Rebecca Luncan

Mismatched Portrait (John), oil on aluminum, 3 x 5, 2014

Contemporary Portrait Painting of Louise Brooks, OIl on aluminum panel, by Rebecca Luncan

Mismatched Portrait (Louise), oil on aluminum, 3 x 5, 2015

International Portrait Competition Entry

by In Awards &. Competitions Tagged , , , , , ,
Portrait painting of Molly in her barn in by Rebecca Luncan.

Vigil (Molly), Oil on Aluminum panel, 15″ x 15″, 2015

I’ve been busy working on a portrait of Seattle floral designer and dear friend, Molly Jackson. I just submitted it to the Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition. It’s my first time entering, please keep your fingers crossed for me!

My First Commissioned Horse Portrait Painting

by In Pet Portrait Tagged , , , , , , , 4 Comments
Horse portrait Painting commission.

Shiloh, oil on aluminum, 18″ x 12.5″

This painting of Shiro marks several firsts for me. The subject of my first blog post, the first painting completed this year, and the first painting I ever made of a horse.

The Portrait of Shiloh is finished, complete with a coat of varnish and frame. I love painting animals, and though we had five horses when I was a kid, this is my first painting of a horse. He is all ready to ship out 2,000 miles away to Ohio. I’ll miss having those sweet eyes in the studio!

Thank you, Lisa for having confidence in my abilities to capture your very special friend!

Go to the pet portraits gallery to see more examples.