Sometimes knowing what you don't want is more important!

MY NEXT PAINTING REFERENCE

 High resolution - cleaned up - colour modified in Photoshop

  Untouched Detail - lots of debris on the water surface

FINISHED PAINTING

905 Untitled 66x60 oil on linen (6-22-14)

DETAIL

I really tossed around the idea of adding some surface debris to #905 but decided against it, at least for now. The debris on my reference got my attention tho and from that an idea......GOLD LEAF!

GOLD LEAF always makes me think of decorative finishes. I know it was used in oil painting, perhaps more during the early 1900s and most notably by my new personal favorite Gustav Klimt during the ART Nouveau Symbolist Movement.

Adele Bloch-Bauer 1 by Gustav Klimt
(retrieved by Maria Altmann)

MY FIRST GOLD LEAF EXPERIMENT
 These were very quick moments and took very little time....perhaps a few hours.

  906 Vermillion Koi and Oak leaf 14x11 oil on linen (6-22-14)

The first one #906; I applied my metal leaf over gold sizing to a pattern of surface highlight on my oak leaf. It's clear painting over gold leaf merges well with oil paint. I now wish I had put some on my Vermillion Koi as under surface.

SECOND REFERENCE WITH SURFACE NOISE

 SECOND PAINTING

907 Golden Koi and Gold 20x20 oil on linen (6-22-14)

My second one, #907; I decided against sizing and simply added the gold directly into my paint.....primarily to represent the debris scattered about on my water surface (reference). I even added shadows under some of it which gives a nice illusion of depth.......but I think it still needs a larger balance detail in gold such as a leaf or a suggestion of pine needles.

DETAILS

BTW, the paintings were still wet the next day. I didn't use much medium in my background and the painting was very heavy with slow drying pigments.

Obviously there is a magnificent range to this material. Just the little I did here tells me so. More exploration could be in order, but right now it has my interest as a subtle detail amongst my surface debris.....a little can go a long way. I want to try it on a larger canvas next with more spontaneous intent like my second painting #907.

Later.....