Boca Doorbells

Diane Mannion,  Boca Doorbells, 8x10" oil on linen

This was started on location in Boca Grande but wiped out later.  Too much detail and too complicated to paint on the spot.  Tried again from color memory and photo reference in the studio.  Always wanted to paint that doorbell!  Wonder how many tourists crank the handle to hear it ring? 

Thumbnail sketch to visualize patterns, masses, and values.

Ugly Underpainting!  Painted over another wipe-out (no one's perfect) with ultramarine blue thinned with linseed oil.  This layer is for figuring out placement and structure.  I refered to my thumbnail instead of the photo (which was on my digital flat screen tv).

Next painted in the masses but painted too fast (forgot) to stop and photograph.  

This is how it looked by lunchtime.

And again, the final painting with details.  Challenge was keeping it painterly!  And constantly reminding myself... it's not an illustration, it's a painting.  Terra cotta tiles are tough to keep loose.

Diane Mannion, #80 Boca Doorbells, 8x10" oil on linen