Egg Tempera on board.

12x12"

Most of my paintings are of otherwise unspectacular objects or vistas which, when cropped to the confines of of a painting, become noteworthy or beautiful, creating abstractions of shape and composition. This egg tempera painting of an octet of snow-covered, grassy clumps in a semi-frozen drainage pond is an example of just that. The muted myriad of colours, textures, layers and forms create a complex, abstracted composition. I was fascinated by the layers of trapped foliage, the gradual transition from open water to frozen sludge, and the contrast the smooth surface of the pond provided to the jagged, barbed grasses in the background.

Egg tempera is an exacting medium in which pure pigments are mixed with egg yolk as a binder, diluted with water, and then applied in very thin washes on a prepared panel. Light over dark will result in transparency, whereas dark over light paint produces opacity. If handled well, a wonderful translucency can be achieved, which is highlighted by a final burnishing.

Octet

Sheila King

800.00

Painting

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