Picture Profile 2415: Blue & Gold Macaws & Swamp Hibiscus II
Artist Code 2415. Blue & Gold Macaws & Swamp Hibiscus II. Oil on stretched canvas 16in x 40in. Painting completed 12 December 2024. (Varnished two coats 7 & 9 June 2025)
Blue & Gold Macaws & Swamp Hibiscus II
I had two customers “fighting” over my original Macaws painting (Picture Profile 1501) which I had submitted for exhibition in May 2024. The story I received from the organiser was that a couple came in and saw the painting, liked it and mentioned that they would look round the rest of the exhibition before making a decision whether to buy it. In the meantime, another couple visited the exhibition and purchased it straightaway! London buses came to mind! But I was pleased that the painting was sold, and even more pleased when the exhibition organiser asked if she could pass my details to the couple who were unsuccessful in the purchase because they wanted a print. (She asked if I would be willing to donate 20% to the venue fund, to which I gladly agreed.) When I contacted them they said they did not want a print but wished to commission another painting exactly the same. This was in May 2024, and I was up to my eyes with other commissions and projects so did not have time to take it on. I mentioned that I could not possibly begin the painting before September, and this was agreed.
Thinking I had a similar canvas size I never thought anymore about it until July when I searched for the canvas to make sure – I did not have one! So I ended up having to buy a pack of five (£154) to get one! I was most pleased when the commissioner agreed to pay for one canvas. So I now have four others on which to paint large canvasses in due time.
I received a lovely message 1st of September asking if I had started the painting. Fortunately, I had just begun the drawing which was quite difficult as I had to use the famous grid method to transfer the drawing from my first picture to the second bare canvas. Even though I carefully marked my squares for transfer, some elements still came out in the wrong place! But of course if the drawing feels right the painting will be right.
It really was a task remembering which oil colours I had used and in what mixes and such a large piece of work, after doing 13 snowdrops (for another project) in water colour on 14in x 20in paper during the year, this project was a bit of a shock. And as the year draws to an end there is so much less time with good light for painting which did not help either.
I began the commission in the last week of August and completed it today, 12th December 2024 – once again, I am earning below the minimum wage! [Sigh]. But it was great fun to try to replicate a painting done in 2015 and I did feel the need to make a few things different so that they can be easily told apart by future generations.
It sounds as if I am moaning about the whole process, but in reality it was a great challenge and I thoroughly enjoyed myself and am most grateful for the chance to “copy” one of my own paintings: better that than someone else doing it!
I believe it is a fare representation of the first painting as I had taken progress photographs on that art journey, including one of the initial sketch on to the canvas, then stages of painting which actually helped with the colour palette. I just love this new one.
Hopefully, I can receive the painting back to varnish it at the end of May 2025 – it takes minimum five months for oil to completely dry, so I give it six for safety. Once varnished, the painting will look brighter and have a nice, even sheen. When oil paint dries, all the oil and other mixers in it evaporate, leaving a sometimes dull surface. Varnishing brings back the sheen and evens up the layers.
The original Blue & Gold Macaws & Swamp Hibiscus painting is below, and a picture of the jigsaw puzzle which is available.
