A day at the beach

A couple weeks ago I posted this photo along with several others that I found on my recent trip to Hickory. The woman who is second from the right is my great-grandmother on my father's side. My interest in vintage fashion doesn't usually run this far back, but I absolutely adore this photograph and could hardly wait to start painting it.

I am not finished yet, but I am in love with this piece already. The various styles and details on their bathing suits are great (yes, in fact they are bathing suits!) This would have been around the late 1800's to the early 1900's. Women's bathing clothes were very similar to their everyday clothing styles, except with a few less layers, and women began to show off their arms and sometimes ankles (shocking!) I am still debating how much of the red background to leave in the piece. I like the idea of it just peeking through around the edges, but I may change my mind.

More Adventures in Watercolor

6"x 6"
Watercolor on Masonite

Today I continued to work on my love/hate relationship with watercolor. While I love some of the effects I can get with the medium, I am still trying to figure out what I can and cannot do with it. For example, there is something that I like about this piece, done from an old photobooth photo of my grandmother, but I an not completely happy with the drawing of her face and wish I could adjust it a bit. If this were oil paint, I would just wipe it off or paint over it. What I should do is a bit more pre-planning on pieces like this, which is not something I am used to doing either. I always like to just dive right in. But, I do love the lightness in her face, as well as the texture I was able to create in the background with the watercolor on masonite.

This photo is part of a strip of photos of my grandmother. I intend to do a larger version of the whole strip in oil. There is something facinating about photobooths and the pictures they create. A lot of "happy accidents", as Bob Ross would say, and candid moments in amongst the posed shots. And I have noticed that photobooths have an almost hypnotic pull on people. Try walking past one without at least thinking about stepping inside! I know I have shared the link to Square America before, but I wanted to specifically point out their collection of photobooth photos from the 1930's through the 70's. Lots of fun to look through.

 Photo courtesy squareamerica.com

Sunshine, Progress, and Changes!

I have so much to write about today that this may be an extremely long post, but I have so much news to share. First, I hope you noticed my fabulous new blog header. It was designed by D at The Photo Spot. Be sure to check out her Etsy store to see many more of her fabulous designs. And speaking of Etsy shops, D designed a beautiful new banner for my shop as well, and I will soon be launching a line of small mixed media pieces only available in my Etsy store. More on that in the coming week!

Today was such a beautiful and sunny day that this morning I decided to set my easel up outside the studio and paint in the lovely spring-like weather. I loved chatting with all the folks who stopped by to watch! As you can see, I did some more work today on the painting of my Grandparents on top of the Empire State Building.

I spent a lot of time working on the buildings in the background. I wanted the background elements to be readily identifiable, without painting in every little building and every window. I love how you can tell that it is a skyline, and yet it is still fairly abstract. I also started working on some of the clothing details, as you can see in my Grandfather's uniform.

Finally, for those of you who have been readers of my vintage blog, you may have noticed that I haven't posted there for quite a while. I recently reached the point where keeping up both blogs was too much. However, I don't want to give up sharing all my vintage inspirations with all of you. So, I will periodically be sharing some of my vintage finds on this blog, as it will help demonstrate where I get some of my ideas and inspirations for my paintings. I will start off today by sharing with you a link to a great article about female fighter pilots during WWII. I love these women, and I am so happy they are finally getting the recognition they deserve!

Playing Dress Up

I spent much of today working on this little project. Myself and 11 other artists are involved in a fundraiser called Tatas on Trade. We were each given a fiberglass bust and the freedom to decorate it however we want. The pieces will be auctioned off later in the year. I really wanted to create one of my 1950's houswives in 3d, so I started by sewing an apron out of canvas. I then gessoed the apron right on to the bust, so now she is ready for paint.

The Joy of Life

8"x 10"
Oil on Canvas
$150

To purchase, email me with the title in the subject line.

I started this piece last week, and decided today was a great day to finish it. It is from a photo of my sweet mom when she was a little girl. I just love the look of joy on her face as she is standing out in the yard. Who knows what she was in the middle of doing when someone called her name and snapped this picture.

And, on a totally different note, you should all head over to my friend and artist Kyle Buttram's new blog, Famsterville. Kyle posts one of her creations daily, and if you are the first to correctly guess where the photo was taken, you can win prizes, including your very own Famster! Below is my prize, Famster Frank, hanging out with me in the studio!

Continuing on

Today I continued adjusting the initial drawing, and added in more of the mid-range and lighter areas. Also sketched in a few buildings in the background.

To make a painting

Yesterday I posted a picture of my grandparents on the top of the Empire State Building sometime during the 1940's. I get asked pretty regularly how I put a painting together, so I decided to document this one from start to finish. Someday when I have a good video camera, you will get to see pieces in action, but in the meantime photos will have to do.

I always start out with very thin oil paint, and scribble the whole piece onto the canvas. The thin paint is easily wiped off and moved around, until I am fairly happy with the layout. I also try to cover up as much of the white canvas as possible. I will later go back in and add the highlights and light areas back in. For example, the background is fairly light in the photo, but I went ahead and painted it all blue and will lighten it up later.


Next, I use a little bit thicker paint and, starting with the darkest areas, I begin adding in some details. I continue to refine the layout of the piece and move things around as needed.

Check back frequently over the next couple of weeks to see more of how this piece comes together!

A Family Connection

My dad and I just got back from spending a couple of days with his sister in Hickory, NC. Our trip was cut a little short due to the threat of snow, but it was great to see my aunt and uncle. One of the big reasons I was excited about this trip is that my aunt has many of the old photos from my dad's side of the family. I knew she had a lot of stuff, but I was not prepared for the huge volume of great photos, letters, and other documents from our family's history. I came back with so many great images to paint from that I don't think I can get them painted fast enough. I would love to share every image that I have, but sifting through 150 or so images of my family might not be as interesting to you as it is to me, so instead here are a few favorites.You can expect these and many others to become paintings very soon!

I think this photo is my absolute favorite in the bunch. This is my grandparents, we are guessing on top of the Empire State Building. It reminds me so much of On the Town, one of my absolute favorite movies. Granted, Pop was not in the Navy, and I doubt they broke into a song and dance number after this picture was snapped, but it really has the air of "soldier on leave meeting up with his girl in the big city."

This is my dad, around age 5. He just always seemed like such a happy go lucky kid. Plus I love the empty milk bottles out on the porch waiting for the milk man.

There was an entire stack of photos of my Grandmother and her friends in their dorm room at LaGrange College in LaGrange, GA. I knew that my grandmother went to college, but I guess I never thought about her goofing around in the dorm with her friends, taking crazy pictures in their pajamas. It makes me realize that at one point in her life, she was much like me.

Riding Top Down

16"x 20"
Oil on Canvas
$400

To purchase, email me with the title in the subject line.

I think I am ready to call this one finished.

Two times the fun

I just realized yesterday that I hadn't posted these two commission pieces yet. Ron came in a while back to commission two pieces for his two daughters. He wanted the same photo for both pieces, but each painting could be different. Before I started, I thought that it would be a challenge to do two paintings from the same photo. After I started, I knew it would be a challenge! I worked on both pieces at the same time, and while I would be happy with the likeness in one, I would be happier with the painting in the other. At the end of the day, I ended up with two distinct pieces that I like for different reasons, and both girls were happy, so done, and done.

A Bit of Detail

I am almost done with this piece, so I thought I would post a closer shot of the four teens in the car. I love the symmetry of this photograph, as well as the reflection on the hood of the car. And, I like how both guys are looking straight at the camera, but the girls seem to have been caught mid-conversation.

Change is comin'

Hello friends!
Just a quick post to say that I am in the process of making a few changes to this blog, my vintage blog, and my Etsy store. Don't worry, though! I will still be posting my daily work, as well as commissions and show announcements. But I would like to start focusing on more of my inspirations and other things that might be of interest to you. So, you can help me out by leaving a comment on this post about what you would like most to see on this blog. Maybe you want to know more about the process I go through to create a painting. Perhaps you would like more video (so would I, honestly.) Just let me know if there is something you have been curious about. This blog is no good without your input! Thanks a million! ~Emily

Progressing

I don't post a lot of pieces in progress, because I have discovered that, when I do, often I will end up not liking the piece or abandoning it midway through, or forget to post the final product. But, I really like where this one is going so far, so I thought I would take the chance.

Rinse Cycle

11"x 14"
Oil on Masonite
$200

To purchase, email me with the title in the subject line.

I intended to post this piece yesterday, but discovered too late that I had left my camera at home. I wanted to do something a little different from the work I have been doing recently, so I pulled out this laundromat photo. I think I have mentioned before that I love laundromats for some unknown reason. Whatever the reason, I enjoyed the simplicity of this piece, as well as trying to make it look like an old photo with the border and burned corners.

Dancing in the Moonlight

Carol commissioned the piece I posted a few weeks ago of the family standing in front of the New York skyline. Recently she sent me the picture for this piece of she and her sister dancing. I think this is such a sweet photo- the movement of the dresses, the joy on their faces, the party going on in the background. Thanks, Carol, for another great one!

On another note, whenever I name one of my posts after a song, I end up singing that song for the rest of the day...

Happy Valentine's Day!

I love my patrons!
I just wanted to take this moment to thank all of you who have supported me and my work, whether through purchasing or commissioning a piece, coming to my shows, stopping by the studio, telling others about my work, or sending me words of encouragement. I couldn't do what I do without you! Thanks, and Happy Valentine's Day! Much Love. ~Emily

Of Dark and Light

8"x 10"
Oil on Canvas
$120

To purchase, email me with the title in the subject line.

I don't know why I love this photo so much. I believe it is my great-grandparents. I just love the simplicity of them standing in front of their house, with the fence and barn in the background. I only noticed when I started doing the painting that it is pretty evenly divided into a dark and light side. And I love the white dress against the dark background, and the dark suit against the white house.

About to Start

11"x 14"
Oil on Masonite
$200

To purchase, email me with the title in the subject line.

This piece was done from a great photo of my grandparents after their wedding. I did a larger version of this picture for my Where I Came From series. While I was working on this piece, I was trying to imagine what they were thinking- my Grandfather casually leaning against the car, clutching my Grandmother's hand; my Grandmother, shyly looking down in her fabulous hat and suit. I wish I could ask them what they were thinking and feeling at this moment, when a new phase of their lives was about to start.

More adventures in watercolor

I am still experimenting with watercolor paints, figuring out what I can (and can't) do. It's a bit of a challenge, but I am determined to overcome! A woman and her husband came in to the shop today, and she mentioned that she painted as well- oil, acrylic, anything but watercolor. When I mentioned to her that I had started playing around with watercolor she made the most disgusted face. Maybe all oil painters have this ingrained aversion to watercolor...

First Date

18"x 18"
Oil on Canvas
$300

To purchase, email me with the title in the subject line.

I found the photo that I based this painting on on Square America while looking for images of vintage cars. I don't know who these people are, or what they were doing, but the image makes me think about a first date (I mean, look at how far apart they are sitting!). I can just imagine him coming to pick her up in his parent's car, wearing his best sweater and button-down, and that she spent all day getting her hair into that perfect wave. Yes, this is the kind of thing I think about while I am painting.

I am doing a giveaway! You have the chance to win a 9"x12" painting from the photo of your choice. Just click over to my Facebook fan page and leave a comment. That's it! You have until midnight this Friday, February 12 to enter. The winner will be chosen randomly.

Days Like This

I like days like today that are a little different from the norm, but where I am still able to get a lot of work done. I started the morning off bright and early hanging a few paintings at Adam's Bistro, located on Pelham Rd. here in Greenville. If you have never been to Adam's Bistro, you need to go because not only do they hang work by local artists, they have some of the best food and friendliest service in this city. Several pieces from my Oil and Rouge series and my Modern Conveniences series will be on display through May, so be sure to stop by.

I have spent the rest of the afternoon emailing, researching, and doing all the business stuff that often gets put on the back burner, but is so important to being a successful artist. So, I thought today I would post another older piece in the spirit of Valentine's Day.


"Multi-Tasking"
24"x 24"
Oil on Canvas
$500

This painting, currently one of the ones on display at Adam's Bistro, probably gets more comments than all of my other paintings. People want to know why she has been painted in, while he remains a mere outline in the background. I have had people ask if it is a feminist statement, if he is a figment of her imagination, or if he is the spirit of her departed husband. Do you have an interpretation? Want to know what I think? You'll just have to come by the studio and ask me...

It's Friday night. Do you know where your art is?

Every year in Greenville, hundreds of innocent paintings are without a good home. These paintings, through no fault of their own, are left without the simple comforts of good lighting, a wall to hang on, and people to admire them. Don't let this tragedy go on any longer. There is something you can do. Visit an artist's studio today, and for the cost of a new appliance, you can sponsor one of these paintings in your home. Not only will you feel the joy of providing comfort and display space to a beautiful painting, you will inspire your friends and neighbors to help out as well. Together we can stop the overcrowding of artists' studios in our area and make a difference. So don't wait. Visit an artist's studio today or go to www.EmilyClarkeStudio.com to find out how you can help.

This public service announcement brought to you by Emily Clarke Studio, Greenville, SC.

People and their cars

A lot of my time this week has been spent on this commission. This was another one that I was excited to work on from the beginning, and it just seemed to come together with no major problems. Unexpectedly, my favorite thing to paint in this piece was the car. I think people never get tired of taking pictures of themselves with their cars. I used to have a picture of my old car up on the bulletin board above my desk. And, people back in the 40's and 50's used to do it too. I have been coming across a lot of photos recently of vintage folks and their cars. Expect to see more of these showing up in my work soon! Have a photo you want to share? Email it to me.

I'm Back and Feelin' the love!

"Being Charming"
12"x 12"
Oil on Masonite
$220
Available in my Etsy shop.

In case you were wondering, I spent the majority of last week huddled under a blanket, fighting a terrible cold, and watching entire seasons of Lost in one sitting. Many thanks to those of you who sent me well wishes and offered help. I have been blessed with a wonderful mother who, despite living in another state, manages to still take care of me when I am sick. I have spent much of this week catching up on commissions that were neglected last week. In the spirit of the quickly approaching Valentines Day, I thought I would post this piece from my Oil and Rouge series. This piece, and many other small pieces and prints, is available in my Etsy shop, as well as in the studio. Maybe it would make a good gift for your Valentine.