988 Reprieve at Twilight

This scene may look familiar to you, and you are correct that it is the same scene recently painted.  There are many benefits to the artist in painting several versions of the same scene, and "it's never the same painting twice," as it is virtually impossible to get every brushstroke the same.  This one is          30" x 24" which was challenging.  

My daughter took the photo reference, which was virtually black and white.  It was challenging to add color where there were only lights and darks.  I think I have one more in me, this time in various shades of blue.

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/988-reprieve-at-twilight/824700

 

987 Gateway to America

 

Several years ago, I attempted to research my enormous family's family trees.  It was a daunting task that found me at the dining room table at 6:00 pm still working in my pajamas for too many days.  I had to give up, but what I learned changed me.  

My family came to America beginning in the late 1800's from Lebanon (then Syria) to France where they boarded the ship to America.  On the Ellis Island website, I discovered a wealth of information via the ships' manifests.  So much about each passenger was recorded on those manifests--the immigrant's age, eye color,  amount of money in their pocket, occupation, education, destination, reason for coming to America, and who they would visit.  Some died on the ship, some were "in hospital," and some were sent back.

This is a painting of the Ellis Island Immigration Building (hospital) which was open to treat immigrant patients from 1902 until 1951 who were ill on arrival and could stay, and those who had diseases prohibited by immigration laws and were sent back to their originating country.  During that time, 275,000 patients were treated, 4,000 fatalities, and 350 new babies born.  The hospital consisted of a general hospital, and one treating contagious diseases.  There was a "Psychopathic Ward" and a maternity ward.  

If you are interested in immigration, I know you will learn so much from how immigration worked in those days.  Wikipedia has a lengthy history of the building and the hospital's practices.

My daughter visited Ellis Island and took this photo (painted with permission).  She was very impressed with an art installation by a French artist that placed large scale photos of real immigrants throughout the buildings on walls and windows.  Here is a web site you can go to to see photos of this exhibit, which my daughter said was haunting.  https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/ellis-island-hard-hat-tour/

This painting is 12" x 12" and a study for the possibility of a larger painting.  I would love to see less fussiness and more abstraction in a large painting.  Any takers?

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/987-gateway-to-america/823586

986 Family Portrait

 

Some days are better than others, and on the particular day I painted this, my husband and I needed some levity.  Yesterday's practice on First Pick of the Season was good prep for this one.  Hope it brings you a smile today.

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/986-family-portrait/822574

985 First Pick of the Season

 

I have two eggplant plants in my rooftop garden, one of them is this variety and the other is a Japanese elongated eggplant.  This is the first pick of this variety.  My two favorite eggplant dishes are Baba Ghannough, a Lebanese dip made with garlic, eggplant and tahini, and Eggplant Parmesan, which my mother-in-law taught me to make.  This one and those that come after are destined for Eggplant Parm. and my mouth is watering just thinking of it.

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/985-first-pick-of-the-season/822377

984 The Optimist, the Pessimist and the Realist

I was given some fancy sunflower seeds in the Spring, and was so happy to watch them grow tall in their pot on my roof, so every time I climb the stairs, their unruly petals greet me with sunshine.  Each stem has 3 or 4 flowers in a clump, but this was the first bloom, so they aren't visible.  While painting this, I made many trips up to the roof to get the colors right.  

I notice some of the seeds are missing, so I am assuming I have had visitors to my garden.

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/984-the-optimist-the-pessimist-and-the-realist/820718