Brooke Gritch
My Inspiration
My inspiration is the form, the shape and especially the value and shading of an object. I have always been intrigued by the organic shapes and intricate details that compose most things. An egg was the perfect form to paint with its ideal roundness and the subtle, but intricately varying colors of the shell and yolk. It is always a challenge to create a painting highlighting the complex curves, shadows, colors and values of an object and especially, in this case, the luminosity of the yolk. And, it was a fun subject to paint.
My Design Strategy
I took many photos of many eggs. I studied each picture for the lines, angles, shadows and how the yolk flowed out of the shell. After finding the right photo, I knew I wanted to make the egg the essence of the painting with very little distraction from the background. I wanted the yolk to be the focal point, highlighting the differing colors a yolk can be. Detailing the cracks in the shell was important to show the intricacies of the thickness, the thinness and luminosity of the shell. Not only is it the object in a painting that intrigues me, but it is also the scale of the painting.
My Working Process
I would break an egg and look at it from every conceivable angle, then break another. It took breaking many eggs to find the “one.” To make the egg the primary element and the focus, I used a neutral background. The shell was a mixture of viridian and alizarin crimson with white. I enhanced the yellow of the yolk by using cadmium yellow light with a varying mixture of cadmium orange, cadmium red light and burnt sienna to achieve the glowing areas of the yolk. To create the cracks in the shell, I used a ¼-inch angle brush with titanium white and a hint of red to create a soft pink glow. I applied multiple layers using a fan brush and a mop brush for blending and softening the edges of the yolk and shell.
Finalist
Contact Details
Email: bgritch@yahoo.com Website: www.brookegritch.com