Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring

Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring

This is my favorite among Vermeer's paintings.  In my art class in 1996, when Vermeer's works were visiting at the National Art Gallery in Washington, DC, my art teacher asked us to copy it.  Armed with just a small magazine print of the painting, I started working on a 16" x 20" canvas.  Below is what came out:

My version of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring

You will see the difference outright but it was not a bad attempt considering that I had only been painting for two years then.

STOP THE CARNAGE!

Voices of Hope, Oil on Canvas, 21" x 21"

 

I painted "Voices of Hope" to express my solidarity with the protesting women of the Middle East whose voices against the carnage in their homelands are muffled by politics and guns.

Flaming Lava reposted

In August 2011, I took a three-hour art class with Ed Furuike in Honolulu (http://www.furuikeart.com/web/) on oil painting with a palette knife.  Ed is a Hawaiian professional artist who really enjoys teaching.  I was delighted to be in his class and marveled at what one could do on a canvas with a palette knife.  I completed “Flaming Lava” below which he mailed to me.  I couldn’t believe I did it with a palette knife.

I chose the model from one of Ed’s magazine photos and bravely started what I had never done before, with his guidance and help.  Then he suggested that I add a white bird to the scene (barely discernible in the upper middle part of the frame).  When there is a volcanic eruption, Hawaiian legend says the lone white bird is Pele which travels alone and is protective of its domain.

Flaming Lava, Oil on Canvas, 14" x 18"

I still don't feel comfortable with palette knife painting but I have finished an abstract piece I called "Tsunami" done mostly with a palette knife (see below) and recently started a seascape with a combination of brush and palette knife.  I will post an image when I finish it.

Tsunami, oil on wood, 13" x 14"

Copying images - theft or compliment?

I google myself rarely but did several days ago and was surprised to find my painting Grief (below) in a few sites.  I had the same experience a couple of years ago and wrote on the blog of the author, asking why my permission was not asked before posting the image.  The image had been taken out.  This time, I posed the same question to the blogger, got a huge apology and my image was taken out.  He studiously looked for my name to give me credit and that was much appreciated.

I have a website and a blog so my paintings are "out there" and can be  used.  I have no watermark to protect it because I don't like watermarks - it ruins the image, I think.  In this day and age of the internet, images can be easily copied and used, copyright notwithstanding.    

"Grief" has been used quite a few times in people's blogs to reflect their feelings about a personal or public tragedy and I am flattered.  I am proud of this piece, as well as my other paintings of "suffering women".  But I would appreciate it very much if those wishing to use any of my images to ask my permission first and not to attribute their postings to me.

 

"Grief" by Cynthia Angeles

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

I wish everyone good health, good cheer, and better circumstances in your endeavors.  I might as well wish myself the same things.  A few thoughts about my art came to mind:

Where is my art going?  Is it going anywhere?  Does it matter?  Of course, it does to any artist.  Will I carry on painting?  Of course, I will.  I just hope that my website will help my art gain exposure and that it will eventually translate into sales so that I can paint some more!