JADE GATES OIL PAINTING
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Inspired . Creative . Alive

LETTING A BIRD FLY FREE

8/30/2020

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"Letting Go" 22x28" Oil Painting on wood panel
During these difficult times, I find"letting go"to be a great challenge, although I didn't start this painting with that in mind.
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I started with a loose sketch of a woman in a sitting position. Initially, I painted her hand lying in her lap.
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Then repainted it hanging at her side. Neither place felt right to me. I didn't like the composition or the feeling of "giving up" the hanging arm represented.
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At that point, I decided she should have her arm lifted into the air in a position that said, "letting go." 
I set my tripod up in front of a mirror and began photographing my hand in different positions, flinging my hand into the air and imagining I was letting a bird fly free out of my hand.
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HOW "THE GIFT" WAS PAINTED -  20 x 30" oil painting on wood panel

7/17/2020

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​This painting was inspired by the uplifting feelings of both giving and receiving. The child is leaning forward and giving or perhaps receiving; in either case, there is an excitement, a sense of happiness. I want to evoke the feelings that are present during this act of kindness.

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Then I added three figures forming a triangle with their head positions.
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In this final image, I added more highlights and darkened the upper right corner to redirect the viewer to the figures.
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I started this painting with a playful abstract. Just freely painting without rhyme or reason.
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I then focused on color harmony added some vibrant colors and  worked on the figure details.
Hope you found this inspiring, helpful or interesting.
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PLAYING ALONG THE WATER LIKE A BALLERINA.

5/12/2020

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"Discovery" 28 x 22" oil painting on cradled wood panel available at Chasen Gallies  (941) 260 5787
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The inspiration for this painting came from a small child playing along the water like a ballerina. 
I found pleasure in her graceful movements and particularly in the way she pointed her toe.

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I was sitting in a beach chair with my camera ready when I captured this painting's inspiration. I took several photographs and used them for guidance and inspiration in my studio.
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 I let myself apply paint to the panel without considering color or value. It's not finished or pretty but a wonderful loosening up exercise that I learned from www.melindacootsona.com. Putting down paint in a childlike manner spurs my creativity and opens up new possibilities.
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Side by Side

4/30/2020

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 Because life can be complicated and challenging, I use the sky diver's adage: "Look where you want to land" as my guide. It is why I focus and often refocus on the pleasure and beauty of life. It is the positive essence of this focus that I hope to relate.

When I visit the gulf (minutes from my home), I often take photos while sitting in a beach chair. I capture the shot from a low angle rather than an eye-to-eye perspective because I find it more exciting and out of the ordinary.

I use the photos as a beginning inspiration and most often change - well pretty much everything by the time the painting is complete. I changed the color and value of their legs to blend with the sand and shifted their bathing suit colors to harmonize with the water. I added some trees in the background and then created a horizontal line along the shore.  The painting seems to dictate what it wants—a bright blue square along the right edge of the picture. Fine, I tell myself, none of it has to make sense; it only has to feel right. 
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Just Flip Them

4/3/2020

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​There are a thousand ways to begin a painting, and I've tried them all, from starting with a faint idea to spending days creating a plan of gesture, color and value. 

Studying the basics is invaluable although what I find of equal importance is a routine of showing up in my studio and painting.
 
As Julia Child aptly stated:
"The only way you learn how to flip things, is just to flip them"
​
These photographs show the progress of "Intrigue" a 35" x 45" oil painting. I titled it "Intrigue" because it appeared out of thin air.
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​Time to Dance?

3/26/2020

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 I’ve always loved to dance and when I want to
loosen up in the studio,
​I turn up the music
and start to move.

Perhaps someday I’ll get the nerve to make
a dance video, for now,

I just want to share the idea with
my fellow artists or anyone that
wants a break.

I figure that’s just about everyone right now!
​
Dancers 24” x 20” oil painting available @ChasenGalleries
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How Long Does a Painting Take?

3/7/2020

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It can take me up to 3 months to finish a painting.
I often turn it upside down and even hang it on the wall in
my home to live with it for a while.
Every painting seems to come around in its own time. This painting started bright and almost garish, so I put it aside for a while.

When I returned, these calm colors seemed to flow across
the painting.

At that point, I felt the woman was moving forward and
​the painting was finished.



"Forward" available at Chasen Galleries
22 x 28" oil painting on cradled wood panel
3 Comments

    Jade Gates

    I strive to keep showing up in my life and in my art  I hope my paintings make you feel the way I do when I create them - inspired, creative, and alive.

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