A Musician's Life

Finishing the painting, step 13

Well, it's done. I finished the sheet music, added a hinge on the cabinet, put in the wood grain and signed my name.

I like her title: "A Musician's Life." It says it all.

When I find an interesting painting to demonstrate, I'll do another one on this blog. Meanwhile, I have two more workshops coming up...one in Millwood, VA on the 16th and 17th of October and another one at Black Hill Regional Park, Boyds, MD on the 13th & 14th of November. For more information, go to my workshop page on my website.

Tools of the Trade, Step 25

Finishing the painting, step 12


I added more highlights to the clarinet and to the temple bells. Then with a lot of fortitude, I began the music. A few false starts, and I now have one page of the music done. I had to repaint the other page, because the gray bars weren't working at all. I discovered that with a itsy-bitsy brush I could actually paint the horizontal lines of the music bars...I didn't have to suggest them with a gray area. So with a fresh coat of white paint, I'll begin laying in the musical notes again when all is dry.

The door pull which I had carefully drawn and painted on the cabinet, was attracting too much attention. So I wiped it out, and with the inspiration of a William Harnett print, I have roughed in a cabinet similar to one that is in one of his paintings. It still need refining, though.

So at this point, I'm nearly done: finish the one page of music, refine the cabinet, and sign my name.

Tools of the Trade, Step 24

Finishing the painting, step 11

My goal today was to finish the sheet music, but it didn't happen. I changed the shape of the paper...I had some tangent lines and intersections that I didn't like. The paper curved over the edge somewhat awkwardly. But I did get the bars on the sheet music, and when that's dry, I can put in the notes.

I then tackled the credenza. Of course, that sounds easy...but they're are a lot of decisions to make. I said in the last blog, that I didn't like the color. I'm more interested in a redder, more mahogany look to contrast with the other wood tones in the painting. It took me a while to design the drawers, and put them in an interesting relationship to the rest of the painting. I then went around my house photographing drawer pulls, so I had something as a guide. The picture I got off the e-bay was basically useless for that purpose. The image was just too small.

Tools of the Trade, Step 23

Finishing the painting, step 10

Back to the bird whistle...I refined it even more. It had gotten too fat on one side. Those gremlins were in the studio again with my paint brushes!

I then tackled the lettering on the vase, which I may darken a bit later when it dries. I painted the sheet music, went over the areas where I had roughed in the music bars. I decided it would be easier if I began with the clean paper, so I'll let this dry and then paint the music bars and notes.

The table has been really bothering me, and I finally decided that it was too horsey. I didn't like the color...looked too much like oak and it was too similar to the unicord. I went to e-bay and found a picture of an antique mahogany cabinet/chest which I can use as inspiration. I copied the image and put it in a document so that I can refer to it as needed. I repainted the cabinet area with a narrower ledge with black, Q-red, and yellow ochre rather than the black, cad red, and yellow ochre. The new color combo makes a richer color, even though I have strayed from the Zorn palette. I'll add a suggestion of drawers and handles when this is dry.

At this point, I have yet to do the music, finish the cabinet, and finish the clarinet. Probably I will find some other areas to pick at.

Tools of the Trade, Step 22

Finishing the painting, step 9

As usual, I started out checking my drawing, and I found that the bird whistle on the drum still wasn't quite the right size...it wasn't large enough. With black and liquin, I glazed the drapery behind it to make it stand out a bit more.

I continued refining the tone holes and keys on the clarinet. I'm not quite done with them yet, but I can only work on them so long for my sanity. I added the red cords to the castanets, which look really neat. I was afraid the red might be overwhelming, but it isn't.

So after doing that, I got in a brightening mood. I brightened and lightened the wooden drumsticks, and the drum, the bow, the tambourine and its jingles, the hand painted design on the vase, and the bells.

Tools of the Trade, Step 21

Finishing the Painting, step 8

I spent most of this painting time working on the clarinet...refining the tone holes and keys...making sure that everything connected properly. I'm still not finished but I had to work on something else.

So I worked on the vase...darkened the shadows around the edges, darkened the blue design, but didn't get far enough to start the lettering.

There was too much similarity between the keys on the keyboard and the vase, so I lightened the keys a bit. Next time I'll warm them up a bit and darken the top of the keyboard at the top of the painting.

I also added a highlight on the bow.

Tools of the Trade, Step 20

Finishing the Painting, step 7


The drawing on the tambourine wasn't quite right. There were problems with the ellipse, which I have now corrected. I also lightened the front of it, giving it more dimension.

Then I corrected the reddish bird whistle which had been giving me a fit. I think it's correct now. Then I brightened the blue handle on the bells and the drumsticks on the music sheet.

Finally I am able to confront the tone holes and keys on the clarinet! No surprise there. I'll have to redraw them before I can paint them.