Monica Vanzant Art Gallery - Paintings & Photographs vanzantart@hotmail.com

Most viewed

Homeward Bound After The Storm140 viewsOil on Canvas
39-1/2 x 27
$1100

Summer Creek119 viewsOil On Canvas
30 x 24
$700

Self Portrait 2006116 viewsOil On Canvas
NFS

The Dutch Maid112 viewsOil on Belgian Linen
20 x 18
$725

The Dutch Maid - V2102 viewsThe 2nd stage begins with using raw umber to produce some values. This is when I decide which direction my light is coming from. I continue to use raw umber, but this time it is cut with equal parts turpentine and dammar varnish. This gives me the three-dimensional quality I need to judge how I am going to proceed and this decision depends on what I want the finally outcome to be.

I have a choice now to paint directly or glaze. I decide to glaze everything except the sky but this will be shown later. Time to move on to step 3.

Hudson River Valley Pasture101 viewsOil on Belgian Linen Board 12 x 16
$575

The Lottery Player - A Study of the Artists's Father101 viewsOil on belgian linen, 18 x 22
NFS

The Dutch Maid - V398 viewsI paint in my values using the grey value scale. As you can see, I have only done this for the parts of the composition that are going to be glazed (Have you noticed her feaures have changed? I hate when this happens...). It shows that a tiny shadow here and a little highlight there can change the entire look of a person (even one that you have invented from your imagination!). I am not happy with it so you may notice me "tweaking" the features until the face in my imagination has reappeared.

Playing Dress Up98 viewsOil On Canvas
16 x 22

Flower Study in a Gold Vase94 viewsOil on Canvas
11 x 14
SOLD

The Dutch Maid - V1 93 viewsThe Beginning. One of my favorite stages of painting. A point that can be the start of something beautiful or could end in total disaster. I stretched this one myself using oil-primed belgian linen as the support. I did not do a preliminary sketch so, as you can see I was "feeling my way" around the composition. Which is a great segway into the 1st rule broken: Never have a horizon line in the middle of your composition. Yes, I did this on purpose. Once I decided to have a landscape behind my center of interest (COI) and a curtain to drape her, I knew dividing the composition in half would make things work. With a horizon line too high, it would hit the drape; Too low and it would touch her shoulders. Since either situation would have been unacceptable, I chose to place horizon line in the middle. I think this decision helped makes this composition more cohesive and adds just enough interest to improve and not detract.

Once the sketch was completed, I set it with charcoal fixative (outside!) and let it rest.

A few hours later I used a thin mixture of raw umber and naptha to tint my canvas. (Sometimes I tint the canvas first and then sketch but I wanted to do something different).

First Steps92 viewsOil On Canvas
$225

Untitled91 viewsAcrylic on paper - Arches 90lb, 11 x 14
$99

The Dutch Maid - V689 viewsNow I have had a few more glazing sessions, working the painting until I am satisfied. I have lightened the shadow side of the headdress. I felt there was too much contrast. After that dried I glazed the cap for the first time using yellow.

"Shelby"88 viewsOil On Canvas 16 x 22
Commission
SOLD

A Street in Uzes France88 viewsOil , 11x14
SOLD

Study For "Playing Dress-Up"87 viewsOil on Cardboard
NFS

Flowers From Alexis84 viewsAcrylic on canvas
8 x 10
125.00

Abstract in Black & White83 viewsAcrylic on canvas -32 x 28
$500

Hydrangea's in a Copper Vase82 viewsOil on Canvas 24 x 36
$350

The Guardian82 viewsOil On Canvas

Nimes Aqueduct78 viewsOil On Canvas 8 x 10
$150

Three Oaks78 viewsOil On Canvas
18 x 24

The Dutch Maid V7 - Completed77 viewsI fine-tuned everything. I glazed the headdress blue, worked on the sky and glazed the drapes for the last time. After this dried, I added a few opaques in the headdress for added highlight. I am now happy with the face again! "The Dutch Maid" is completed. And it only took six months....

Book Cover - "The Journey of Marie-Jeanne"77 viewsNFS

Prince Edward Island Inlet77 viewsOil

77 viewsOil On Belgian Linen 8 x 10
$145

Indian Vase & Grapes76 viewsOil on Board
8 x 10
$105

Prince Edward Island Inlet76 viewsOil On Canvas 31-1/2 x 21
$375

Callilily 74 viewsOil On Canvas 30 x 48
$475
SOLD

Bluebird & Sunflowers73 viewsOil on Canvas
$500

Orchids & Grapes72 viewsOil on Canvas

Orchids in Wedgewood71 viewsOil
Sold

Apples & Wine71 viewsOil On Canvas

Pennington Airfield Before The Storm71 viewsOil On Canvas 18 x 22
$625

Portrait of Roger Harrington68 viewsOil On Canvas
14 x 24
Property of Roger Harrington

Boxed In67 viewsAcrylic on canvas

66 views

The Green Drape64 viewsOil on Canvas

The Two No One Wanted64 viewsOil On Canvas
8 x 10
$320

I stopped at my local deli one morning for some coffee. Next to the register sat a full bowl of fruit for sale; included were oranges, bananas and apples. That evening I stopped at the deli for a paper. The fruit bowl now had one orange, one banana and two apples. The next morning I went into the deli for my coffee and there sat only two apples, the same two from the day before. Out of pity, I bought them and decided to paint them, and make them…immortal. When the painting was finished, I threw them away because actually, I don’t like apples.

The Dutch Maid - V460 viewsTime to start the sky. No bells and whistles here. I kept it very, very simple. I want nothing to detract from my COI. I needed a cool blue to set it back as far as possible so I used ultramarine blue. I also worked on the face and headdress some more.

Ivy on Mantle60 viewsOil
NFS

Purple Roses59 viewsOil
Sold

The Thinking Tree59 viewsOIl On Canvas
11 x 14
$325

Blue Vase & Oranges59 views

The Comedian - Lewis Black57 viewsCharcoal On Paper
NFS

Abundance Of Roses54 viewsOil On Canvas
11 x 14
SOLD

Pennington Farm54 viewsOil On Belgian Linen
$1,250

Study - after Liliedahl, after Harmaloff54 viewsOil On Canvas
16 x 22
NFS

The Red Scarf54 viewsThe pretty young lady that works at my local deli had on a beautiful scarf and I had to paint her with it.
8 x 10

The Dutch Maid - V553 viewsOn to the glazing! I love this part. What you see here is after eight glazing sessions on the face, drape, landscape and dress. (Sorry, I forgot to take photo's). Due to drying time, this took approx. two months total. I have also worked on the sky and added a few clouds. Here I broke the 2nd rule: Adding a color that is nowhere else in your painting - the red drape. I did add a little bit of the red in the landscape and dress but overall the color hue of the drape is unique to the rest of the painting. But again, I believe the warmth plays well against the sky, compliments the landscape and definitely stops your eye from falling out of the painting. (By the way, I use no turpentine when glazing - Just a glazing medium.)