https://kelleymacdonaldart.com

My Website

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Handmade, 6x6 Oil

This wonderful mug was made by my son Conor. It has a bluey-green color with a hint of a soft orange that is really neat. People want him to make more, but it was an 'accident in the kiln' that created this color, he says. A challenge to paint? YES! But inspired by all the striped backgrounds I've been seeing on blogs lately I tried using some great striped fabric I have... see the result below. Ummmmmm... can you say 'wipe off'? The background was so vibrant that it overpowered the delicate shading of the mug, which was, after all, the focal point. So I switched to a white background, above. Took hours, but there you go.

16 comments:

  1. Really excellent job here, just love the color of the mug!

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is a great mug color and you have done it well. I do like the stripes,,,

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks Sandra, and Pat, too. Maybe if I tried it again with more subdued colors?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow Kelley! You really captured your son's mug beautifully!
    I agree with you on the background..... I love the one without stripes!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love handmade cermics and this mug is gorgeous! You captured it. Your painting so nicely shows the color variation and sheen and love the soft teal background.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kelley, Both of these are really nice! I do like the plain background better. Beautiful job on the mug, and great colors. I love your blog! Always inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Kelley!

    I think both versions of this painting turned out great!

    The solid background is more elegant looking while the striped background looks more fun. Just depends on what look you're going for, that's all.

    The mug turned out really nice in both paintings. Stong highlights and you managed to sneak a lot of colors into the green of the mug. Love that!

    Perhaps simply dulling down the colors of the stripes in the background would've been enough to keep them from overpowering the main subject?

    It was neat seeing both versions!

    -Dean

    ReplyDelete
  8. I definitely like it without the stripes!
    By the way I just read your comment for tips for photographing. Thanks so much! It was really helpful!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oooooh, Manon, thanks for taking the time from scaling Maine's rocky cliffs to check in! Debbi, thanks for noticing how I agonized over the glazes! Dean, yes, I think if I had just softened the stripes, it would have been much better!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Kelley, I love the glaze on that mug too! Great job.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Both of these mugs are beautiful Kelley, each in their own way. The glaze is perfectly done...I love that your son made the mug for you too!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Kelley,

    Both paintings are super! The stripes title would have been "Mugging it Up". Thanks for showing both!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Love the colors on the mugs! It is great to follow your blog. You are such an inspiration. Thanks for introducing me to daily painting! I love the discipline of making a daily work! Painting everyday has made my work get so much better! Honestly, can't thank you enough!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow-this is stunning, and you were right to keep the background neutral. Great painting.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Kelley and thanks for stopping by. You live in a grain elevator - how cool is that? I envy you! I stopped by and after all the blogging and the mutual artist friends we have, I have never seen your work! I think all your coffee mug paintings are very special - they make me think of mocha lattes with hazelnut - my fave! Nicely done. I have added your blog to my google reader!

    ReplyDelete
  16. You really have this mug down. I feel like I can touch it. The glaze is just slammin'!

    ReplyDelete

Awww THANKS for leaving a comment! You KNOW I love to hear from you!

Related Posts with Thumbnails