Kale

"Kale," acrylic on 10x10 canvas

Nite is a feral cat who lives in my neighborhood.  I can't take him in- he really is a wild beast, albeit a sweet one, and I have too many pets already.  But, I have been feeding him and over the past year, we've become good friends.  On Friday mornings, Nite loves sitting with me on the front porch, occasionally taking breaks  to roll around in the kale garden.  He adores my kale plants!

Of course, Nite isn't the only reason kale inspires me.  It is a nutritious food and a highly resilient crop.  I planted it last fall.  It has survived extreme temperatures, hot and cold- not only survived, but thrived.  It is also exceptionally beautiful.  One morning while spending time with Nite, I took this photo and got an idea.

I noticed not only the gorgeous colors, but also its intricate shape and pattern.  I have been studying Georgia O'Keeffe's work lately, and I thought about her flower and leaf close up paintings.  One thing that I learned in my readings is that Georgia O'Keeffe is not the only female artist to make this kind of painting in the 1920s and 30s.  Elsie Driggs and others during this time period were also making this sort of work, although certainly Georgia O'Keeffe is the most celebrated for this style of painting.

I wanted to make my own close up plant painting, a painting that focuses on the shape and pattern of kale.  I thought the near complimentary colors of magenta and green would also lend my painting some balance and contrast.  Next, I really wanted to emphasize the budding new green in the center of the kale, to focus on newness and possibility.

I cropped my photo for a more pleasing design.

 

I tried to sketch my kale, but it was so complicated that I gave up.  I gave my canvas a quick yellow oxide underpainting, and then I decided to just paint my design directly on the canvas, rather than trying to draw it out.  Somehow, this was easier.  I did a tonal underpainting with seven shades using raw sienna, with burnt umber for the darkest tone.

Then, I used various layers of glaze, and also painted over my design for finer detail.  I finished it off with one coat of gloss varnish and two coats of satin.

My kale has since flowered.  It will never look quite like this again.  My painting will help me remember that cool Friday morning, sitting on the porch with Nite and enjoying the beauty of nature.