Marbles on eBay

Marbles
Size: 127mm x 127mm
Support: Gessoed MDF board
Copyright Susan Borgas
For Sale

Check out my eBay listing for 'Marbles'

Well I am truly on a steep learning curve here with my first listing on eBay now available for bidding. I am at the moment testing the water to see how it all works and for this reason will only post to Australia. Well that is if I do manage to get a bid.

This painting isn't hot off the easel, but painted some time back with the idea of selling on eBay and ended up confused with the whole thing and shelved the idea. What I mean by confused is art sellers leaving eBay and selling their work elsewhere or privately through their blogs and websites. I am hearing that this has escalated in recent months. eBay fees do gobble up small profit on sales so I am going in with my eyes wide open without high expectations.

It is going to be an interesting exercise; one that you can watch with me or if you are an Aussie and like my work, you could be in for a chance of an original piece painted by yours truly. But first you have to make a bid!



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Chambers Gorge Rock Pool "WIP" ten

Although not perfect the image for todays update is much closer to the real life colour of the Chambers Gorge Rock Pool, where as yesterdays was saturated with a lot of red.

Todays progress consists of more glazing over the still water along with grasses amongst the rocks. Also another layer added to the foliage of the trees in the background along with some timber. More flicks of colour were added to the mat of grass in the middle ground.

Strangely enough the more I do to this painting; another area then needs to be worked on. It is like playing 'catch up' at all times and yep that means I will be catching you with another post once more on this subject.

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Chambers Gorge Rock Pool "WIP" nine

Finely a long overdue update for you to scrutinise. Having never used this grisaille technique before I have to admit to being out of the comfort zone, especially when working on a painting of this size.

The addition of flora as well as glazes over the water area is now starting to really breath life into the painting that I can now see the long awaited finish line approaching.

The image colours are not quite correct with the reds coming through a little strong on the right as well the shadow colour in the rocks are brighter than they should be. In real life it does look much better but with a dark dreary day here for photos and wanting to post to my blog; this photo is it for today.

What next? More glazes along with flicks and dabs to refine areas that need attention, so until then I have plans for another update tomorrow..... grrrr and watch out who ever gets in my way of this happening!

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Who we are and Chambers Gorge Rock Pool "WIP" eight

There is a get to know you thread in the Talk Pastel Forum at WetCanvas. For the artist that read this blog there might be someone there you know or would like to get to know better. Here is a quick link to Who we are at WetCanvas.

Below is my own contribution along with this photo in todays post. As you can see there is some glare on the painting, especially so in the sky. The sky actually does recede more than this image shows. I am wary about bringing in vegetation too quickly over the sky because I don't want any cracking of the darker paint to occur. I am constantly checking that mixing mediums into my oil paint is done correctly and once more this is where WetCanvas helps me enormously.

Ok enough of the prattle as there is enough to read below.

I have been following this thread with great interest and thought it was time that I added my own profile.

As a child I lived in the Pastoral Regions of the Gawler Ranges of South Australia. As station life meant creating my own entertainment, I spent much of my time doing what I loved most - drawing.

At the beginning of my high school years I moved to Quorn in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia to live with my grandparents. Even though I had visited my grandparents in the past, this was the beginning of a new era, where I would remain living in the Flinders Ranges.

I spent one year with my grandparents before moving with my family to Black Rock and eventually Orroroo. I stayed at Orroroo until I married in 1976, moving onto my husband's family farming property near Booleroo Centre. We still live there to this day. We have three children who are in the workforce.

Life was pretty busy on the farm, bringing up a family and the ensuing commitments. It wasn't until 1992 that I seriously considered taking up painting. Watercolour was the first medium that I ever used followed closely by oils. How times change as I am now primary a Pastelist. Even though pastel is my main medium that I now use, other types of paint and drawing materials and technique do embrace a large part of who I am as an artist. For example at the moment I am studying the Grisaille technique in oils, which is mentally quite taxing but oh am I learning such a lot! I have recently purchased coloured pencils and like other mediums that I have used, I won’t be satisfied until I know how to use them to the best of my ability.

My life does not just revolved around my art. Working on the farm; office duties often are calling me plus play a support role to my husband when the farm is very busy. One of my children is married with another wedding in a few months time. I like to share what I do when it comes to my creative side of my life as I do get so much in return. This is why I like to be involved with WetCanvas as much as I can. Putting all my work in one place and talking about it on my Arts & Stuff blog also enables me to interact with other artist.

Today I tidied up my face and hair ready for church and I thought here was a good opportunity to show you a ‘not so scruffy’ artist in her studio. I am still in my daggy clothes that I wear at home and apologise for the uneven light with glare spots. The painting is the Grisaille that I am working on and is taking forever to do but like I said, I am learning a lot.

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Chambers Gorge Rock Pool “WIP” seven

I am soooo enjoying this stage of the oil painting. All the hard work has been done working out the tonal map with the grisaille technique that I can now just add my layers of colour.

Because it is a landscape I have some flat darker colour in some areas where vegetation will be placed over the top giving the grasses and shrubbery depth. You didn't think I was going to paint every blade of grass did ya?

This image isn't the best as the yellow for some reason wants to be dominant and yet the painting has very little left from the under painting. The rocks in fact do have a very pale wash of Burnt Sienna over them. Maybe the camera is picking up the yellow from that. I don't really have the time to spare to play around with the image too much so this one is it folks!

I am hoping for a translucent sky, which already has two glazes of colour with more to come. I am unable to add the shrubbery that will come up above the skyline until this area is completed with glazes.

Did I say I am enjoying this stage of the painting!!!

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Grisaille landscape chambers gorge oil painting

Chambers Gorge Rock Pool “WIP” six

Just a very quick post today showing you the landscape painting that I am working on as is in my studio.

Today I actually worked all over the painting, refining some of the tonal values with glazes along with catching other areas up.

Back to the studio I go..... [imagine waving smiley here]

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Chambers Gorge Rock Pool “WIP” four

Nope the grisaille isn't finished much to my own disgust. Never mind it will be waiting for me when I get back from a two week break in New South Wales. Hubby and I are leaving tomorrow morning with our caravan in tow.

Some of the areas called Outback and Heart of Country in New South Wales are the places Malcolm and myself will be visiting. I wish we could visit all the clickable areas on the map but it just will not happen because two weeks isn't enough time to do so, which is approximately the time we are taking away from home for this caravanning holiday.

Thankfully we have a son and his partner that will look after the farm while we are away. It is very handy having them living a stones throw away.

Well dear friends, this is the last post until my return. Take care and I will catch you all on Arts and Stuff when I arrive home. Oh yes and it isn't impossible that I may post a snapshot over on my other blog while we are away.


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Chambers Gorge Rock Pool “WIP” three

The grisaille is coming along really well but slowly as there are so many variants of tones to consider. One thing that surprises me, at this stage there is little paint used.

Because I am not working the whole painting at once I am able to sit, which is good for my leg that is still giving me trouble although on the mend as long as I rest it. Maybe trying my hand out with a grisaille technique is timely to keep me off my feet.

Not really sure when my next post will be. Once more there is a trip to Port Pirie tomorrow. This time it is in preparation with a two week trip interstate so need to get our vehicle serviced plus tucker shopping and other odds and ends done. Sadly we have a funeral to attend this week as well.

Anyway Malcolm (husband) and I are not heading off with our van in tow for another week yet. With a bit of luck I hope to get the grisaille stage of this painting finished before we leave so that it dries properly before I start adding colour.

Well I better go and clean my brushes....... that is where I miss using my pastels as I can't just leave things as they are until the painting is completed.

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Chambers Gorge Rock Pool “WIP” two

My studio has an atmosphere of the outdoors today. No air-conditioner needed to cool things down so my door and large window is open to the East. The Magpie also is warbling a beautiful song just outside of my window as I paint.

Because this work is so big (840 x 960 mm canvas) I am more comfortable getting the rock areas worked up ahead of the rest of the Grisaille. That is one of the reasons that I didn’t post yesterday, it was along day and yet I felt there wasn’t a lot to show and tell from the previous post.

For those that are wondering what my paint mix is, it is equal parts of Raw Umber and Ivory Black which makes a lovely dark.

Uh oh, there is a family domestic going on now amongst the magpies, now that is not relaxing!

I am now getting right into the swing of the Grisaille knowing that the tonal map will be completed before I start adding colour and basically all the hard work will be done. I am fully aware that Grisaille are best suited for a Still Life and because of this, when I do start adding colour there will be some brushwork introduced as one would expect in a landscape. The water on the other hand is very smooth and transparent and that is where I am going to make the most with my glazes.

When looking at the image on my monitor I realised the yellow is a little on the strong side to what it really is so be aware of that when you view this sample of todays work.

Well it is Saturday in Aussie land and once I have updated my blog, and a couple other jobs, it is then time to put my feet up and have a glass of red with my husband.

Cheers!!!

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Chambers Gorge Rock Pool “WIP”

Jeepers I must be mad!!! I have never done a Grisaille with oil before and I go and do a large one. As you can see I haven’t finished the first layer and yet more to be done. The correct values will be that much closer to what I want in the next pass and fined tuned in the third.

The board was already primed with the yellow background so went with it for the Grisaille as that was all I had. The yellow has been very successful with my drier technique with oils so we will see how it goes with glazes.

Well I better post this and then go and clean my brushes and pack my paints away…… catch ya tomorrow!

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Elder Range revisited & framed Rawnsley Bluff painting

I am much happier with the sky now with a few wind swept clouds higher in the atmosphere plus some additional puffs of cloud in the air already showing a promise of future rain. It has the seal of approval from my husband Malcolm, which makes me feel that I have done the right thing.



I don’t often post images of a painting that I have framed but so pleased with this one that I wanted to show it off. It is a shame that I have some shadow showing along the edges but couldn’t get a good shot of the framed painting when taking the photo in my studio so outdoors was the next best option.



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Rawnsley Bluff "WIP" ten

Right from the start I do apologies for anyone that is on dial-up as there is four photos for you to have a look at plus I was supposed to post images yesterday. That didn’t happen as I have been spending some quality time with my daughter and her husband who visited for the weekend.

The reason that I am posting macro shots of this painting I want to show you that many of the marks applied are not as carefully applied as one might imagine in this painting. I will use everything and anything to get different effects. The sword play is using a long rigger that has plenty of paint on it; dotting dashing and swilling around on the canvas. Using a painting knife with a thin layer of paint on it I scrape across the surface of the canvas; once more leaving dots and dashes behind. Use the point of a knife to pick up two or three colours of paint then apply for larger stones. Use a short haired brush the same way as a knife to make stones. It then avoids the creek having the stones looking all the same as if rabbits have left there calling cards behind.

Once I am sure the paint is dry enough I am going to glaze a purple shadow up the bank of the creek on the bottom right. This will be a transparent glaze as I have used in different parts of the foreground already. I doubt that I will be posting it back here though will add it to my website.

So there you have it, until the last two recent paintings it has been some time since I have worked with oils. I am already thinking about my next painting, which will be a pastel landscape.









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Rawnsley Bluff "WIP" nine

I can’t get a decent photo of the whole painting due to the bad light. All the same I have two close-ups to show you. Sorry they are so grainy but the best I can do today.

I will post an image of the whole painting tomorrow as well as a close-up shot of the transparent water on the left hand side.

I am now at the more look than put stage of the painting. I have to admit I am starting to look forward to working once more with my pastels.

Rawnsley Bluff "WIP" eight

Thought I better post an update before anymore additional work is done on this piece. The water is now taking shape with very little left to do on it other than perhaps some tweaking of the reflections of the trees. I am very happy with the area of transparent water.

I still have the right hand side of the creek bank to work on yet plus the limbs in the trees. Also the middle ground trees on the left still need some branches and twigs.

With some of the brush strokes I must look like a swordsperson waving the brush around with the arm stretched right out. That is what I have been doing on the banks of the creek when applying tones and textures. Rather fun!!!



Technorait tags: oil, landscape, art, artist,landscape artist

Rawnsley Bluff "WIP" seven

I tend to jump all over the place when I get bored with an area when painting with oils. I start to fiddle and better off letting an area dry and add more paint when feeling fresh in my own mind to tackle it again at a later time.

Since my last posting I have tweaked the foliage in the middle ground trees. The limbs and twigs are yet to be finished in this same area.

I have prepared more work on the stony area but the biggest change you will see is the right hand side with the trees now starting to shape up. More work still to be done but patience is now required while I watch paint dry.



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Rawnsley Bluff "WIP" six

Very happy with what I managed to get done today. After completing my morning household jobs I was in the studio by nine this morning. I painted until lunchtime by which time I was frozen from standing in front of my easel. It is so cold at the present time and supposed to be colder tomorrow.

Once lunch was eaten it was back to work; not painting but mounting pastels into frames this time. After some time passed I noticed the skies were clouding over so much heavier that I thought I better take a photo of the painting I was working on or once more I would have a dark image to present to you all again.

Once the framing job for two paintings was finished I then went back to painting for another hour then decided to call it quits as the studio was getting far to cold for me.

So there ya go that was my day, hope it was a good one for all of you as well.



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Rawnsley Bluff "WIP" five

I worked seven hours today on this painting as I wanted to complete the second pass over the original layer.

It isn’t the best image because of the lack of natural light when this photo was taken. There is more variety of tonal values placed on the painting than what is actually showing up.

Well I am bushed and I need to start thinking about the evening meal.

Rawnsley Bluff "WIP" four

Slow going but pretty happy with how this is coming along.

The mountain has now been refined to the point of finished. I have started adding another layer to the trees in the middle ground to give you an idea of what is to come next.

More work will be done on the middle ground tomorrow with another posting to follow.





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Rawnsley Bluff "WIP" three

The sky and mountain are dry enough today to allow me to place the darks where I want them. The mountain still isn’t finished and will be worked on next.

Colour was scrubbed in and around the middle and foreground. Little paint has been used but does help me to map out some of the areas.

Darks need to go in where the water is laying, which is a job for another day. The water will have lots of layers applied with areas of the bottom of the creek showing through the transparent water.



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Elder Range, Central Flinders "FINISHED"

The light isn’t the best today for taking a photo but did want to post today.

I feel that this is now finished though as usual the work will sit for some time before framing it just incase I see something that needs altering.

A close up shot will give you more idea of the texture in this painting. One thing I did do that may not be altogether noticeable I faded off the contrasting colours on the right side of the mountain so that it heads off into the distance more.






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