The Duomo Done

"The Flirt"

Watercolor,  9" x 23"

©Carmella Tuliszewski 2013

It's so nice to have this finished.  It was intense.  If I have a signature way of working it's having my subjects drenched in sunlight.  I really feel that here and that makes me happy.

In the end I deceided to keep the yellow sunlight on the right of the cathedral because I like the warm and cool contrasts.  The figures in the background were very enjoyable to paint, each minding their own business, strolling and sightseeing.  

But what I like most, and what is the key to this series is the people connection.  There is definite contact between the lady officer and the young man.  They cross each others path and smile, why we'll never know.  I hope they're happy whereever they are now.

I painted this mostly in a straight forward manner by mixing and testing colors on my pallette before working the surface.  My new Kolinsky brush really was wonderful here as it comes to the sharpest point I've ever worked with.

I have a working tile of "The Flirt", but is this flirtation that of the young couple or the effect the beauty of the Cathedral of Florence, The Duomo, has on all who she her?

Duomo - Part Three

Now that the details on the facade are in, the yellow on the side doesn't bother me quite as much.

The size of this piece is 9" by 23" and in person it is really fun to look at all the goings on here.

The details aren't perfect but I like that about it.

Now on to the figures below and the right side of the cathedral.  

The building jutting up on the right side is Giotto's Bell Tower named after the artist who design it.

I like how it forces you to look through to the back and gives the space some added depth.

The Duomo - Part Two

©Carmella Tuliszewski 2013

Feeling like I still have it under control but see some wonkiness in the structure here and there that I will adjust before I continue.   For instance, I can now see that the spire on the left of the door is tilting slightly to the left and the copula on the dome needs some straightening.
I wanted to show sunset on the building but not quite sure if it's working.  I'll wait to the end and may tone down that yellow some.

The Duomo - Part One

©Carmella Tuliszewski 2013

There are few buildings on the planet as impressive as the 
Duomo in Florence.
Besides all the obvious sculptural ornamentation, the building is inlaid in green and pink marble panels.  
The dome is covered in thousands of brick tiles.  My drawing here is completed in two-point perspective with the details sketched in place.

This piazza is a very crowded, busy, and to me, a magical place.  At risk of you finding out what a nerd I am, I was constantly imagining Michelangelo, da Vinci  and so many other historic figures having walked where I was that day.  While going through my photos I came across this scene of the tourist and the lady officer.  They look at each other and smile and maybe feel some of the same magic I was feeling.  I love this connection, not to mention the activies of the other tourists surrounding them.

I am very excited to start painting and a little afraid that I will mess it up!
The first thing I need to do is take a kneaded eraser to it and pick up all the darker graphite lines to the point that I can barely see them and you won't notice them in the final painting.
Well, here I go, wish me luck!

Tackling The Dumo

I have to say that, although Rome was fabulous, Florence was my favorite city in Italy.  We were only there for one day so we had to pack alot in, all unforgetable!  

So now I take on The Dumo as part of my Italian Street People series.  The people part will come later.  This piece is actually a composite of three different photos.  Which is tricky because you have to match or invent the correct perspectives and lighting.  So I break out all my mechanical drawing and engineering tools and on this snowy Spring day I begin.  

The drawing is tetious, however, I plan to show a loose indication of all the ornaments on the building.  To do that everything has to be in the right place, perspectives need to be correct or else those loose plops of color later will look like a loose painting with a bad drawing underneath. 

And I want my people down on the street to be the major players here.

Also, for me, drawing it out and laying hands on the paper, makes me feel more confident when it's time to paint.  And as you may know, I love drawing!  

Stay tuned!

Happy Spring!

"Guardian of the Wetlands"
Watercolor, 8" x 18"
©Carmella Tuliszewski 2013

My husband and I own a home on the wetlands of the Jersey shore.  It's a beautiful, quiet place where friends and family gather every summer.  We've spent many summer nights facing the wetlands from our porch enjoying the sunset with a brandy or glass of wine.

Last fall Superstorm Sandy came roaring up the east coast and made a left turn right into our little town. Watching it approach from tv broadcasts, horrified at the shear size and power of it, we thought we'd never see the place again.  The ocean and the bay actually met, leaving the entire island under water. We were lucky.  We had our share of clean up but our damage was nothing compared to what neighboring areas had to and still deal with.

This little rusty garden angel and her American flag stood in the area bordering the wetlands in front of our house.  One sunny day last year I went out and took her picture for a future painting.  It became something else after the storm.  It means something to come back after Sandy and amazingly see her still standing.  Her flag was gone but later found in the debris.

So this little painting is not the fine art piece I usually do but an illustration depicting the wetlands and it's occupants coming back in every sense.  Her flag is replaced. The first flowers of Spring, the crocus, have sprung.  A turtle cautiously crawls out of the wetlands.  An Osprey flies overhead with it's catch of the day.  A rabbit explores while a frog and a fox peep through the reeds.  The NJ state bird, the Goldfinch, and the State insect, the honey bee make an appearance.

And in the distance the stately egret and the seagulls roost in the wetlands.

I have a little more work to do on it.  Mostly picking out sunny hightlights in the reeds and surrounding subjects.  But since the weather here is so cold and gloomy today, I wanted to pop in some Spring a little early.  Enjoy!

Sunset over the wetlands from our porch.

Our neighborhood under water after the surge.

 The Angel's flag found in the debris and put in place by Jenni.

"Concerto",  Watercolor,  14" x 18"

©Carmella Tuliszewski 2013

I am finding it a happy challenge to work with figures and architecture again after so many years.  It's so interestting to me to see them here and wonder what the rest of their day was like and that they will never know they spent some time on my drafting table.  My main goal here was to capture the connection between the two musicians and I am satisfied.  If you would like to see the progressions for this piece, please visit the previous post, "Just Jammin".

Next, onto Florence.  Still working out the idea in my head but it will include the Dumo, a couple of horses and a little flirtation between characters on my stage.  

As always, thank you for taking a look.