After Swathing II - Original Oil Pastel
About The Work:
After Swathing II reflects the shady tree line and open fields beyond on a hot sunny day at the north end of Dauphin. I had originally set out to capture the scene as a pastoral field of uncut green that included a small patch of sunflowers growing wild. That was before the unexpected happened - the farmer came through with his swathing machine and cut the field down. It was a beautiful August summer day with me sitting under a line of shady trees soaking in this peaceful view as I daydreamed and drew... Using my original plein-air source material from that day, this artwork was completed back in the studio.
I executed this work using a sgraffito technique with oil pastels. Practiced in Italy since the 1730’s, Sgraffito is an old and beautiful “subtractive” method of creating images by scraping away a surface of medium in patterns and shapes, creating an image by exposing the underlying layer of color(s). While in Italy I became captivated by this art form and had to explore this technique. In my studio, I design my image, transfer it onto paper, block in vibrant colours of oil pastel - the first layer. I then add a top coat of dark colour, gently mark my image back in and start scraping away the dark top coat. I love the creaminess and the smell of the oil pastel while working with it and the whole process of “revealing” the image in the undercoat, the transformation from dark to light.
Size: 8 x 11 inches artwork, matted and framed to 16x20 inches
Medium: Oil Pastel on acid-free paper
Year: 2013
This work is matted and framed. A Certificate Of Authenticity is also included.
Please note that colours may appear slightly different on screen than they do in person.
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Care and Handling:
Special care is needed in the handling of original Oil Pastel artworks. Oil Pastels do not dry or harden, they remain soft, moveable and can be smudged, scratched or scraped. This work has been sprayed with a protective coating of oil pastel fixative but remains fragile. Oil pastel artworks should be matted and framed behind glass (or plexi-glass) as soon as possible. A double mat provides the best separation and air space needed so that the oil pastel does not come into direct contact with any other surface. UV glass is highly recommended - avoid hanging in direct sunlight.
Copyrights:
The sole copyright and all reproduction rights of original artwork by Jan Jenkins is retained by the Artist Jan Jenkins, remains the property of Jan Jenkins and therefore cannot be reproduced in any way by anyone other than Jan Jenkins.
Returns:
As an independent artist, I do not accept returns. However, please contact me if you are not fully satisfied with your purchase.