Step By Step Oil Painting
"The Macaws of
Wupatki"
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Here is an archaic abstract design found painted on a ceramic pot. It clearly depicts the macaw or other parrot, from over a thousand years ago. |
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Results of my research.
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Beginning .... 07/02/02...
It begins, in the lobby of the Old Town Gallery. Drop
by and see me!
This painting measures 42" x 22". The point
of view is from just down (north east) the east rim
of broken moenkopi stones, looking back at the south room block
connecting the kiva and tower.
07/04/02...
About halfway along on the underpainting, I've included
this to let you see the pencil drawing of the pueblo.
The underpainting is developing, large masses of color
have been painted.
Anything to get rid of the white.
In my research I found this ceramic parrot on display at the Mueum of Northern Arizona.
07/09/02...
I've blocked in the great pueblo's south room block
and tower.
07/10/02...
The underpainting for the scarlet macaw begins today...
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The parrot (Macaw) influence in the ancient cultures of the southwest remains in place even today. Here's an example of a parrot abstract design drawn for me by Hopi artist Neil David Sr. Since there are no native parrots in Arizona, it speaks to the fact that once they were traded here from Central America as highly regarded items. |
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07/12/02...
The underpainting of the two macaws, Scarlet and Military,
is done at this point.
07/19/02...
The underpainting is finally complete, covering all
of the original white canvas.
I've painted the first new layer of paint on the sky, with a blend
and I've add some early shadows.
07/25/02...
Made a few changes... started the sky detail, and I painted out the previous foreground.
I've removed the previously indicated large storage pot. I'm working on a whole new composition for this space!
Here's why:
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In a recent visit to the Museum of Northern Arizona viewed and recorded these actual Sinagua artifacts, mostly from Wupatki itself. This validation caused me to completely rebiew what to do with this foreground. Items above include a large pot and bowl, both classified as Sunset Red as ceramics. The woven mat and sandal are made from local yuccas fibers. Placing these things back on site will add to my project.
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07/31/02...
I've spent a couple days working on the distant foothills,
early color, shape and texture.
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From my research:
Here is an archaic icon of the pushteca, the trader, painted on an old ceramic pot. It makes clear reference to trading, the method of acquiring beautiful macaw feathers.
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08/08/02...
I've spent the past few days just working out the details
of the foothills and the sky.
I've included a close up this time of the specific area. It also
shows off my new camera.
In my home studio I've also been working on the new
composition for the cultural stuff I'm adding to the foreground.
08/15/02...
Quite a bit has been done this past few days. The main
difference in this picture is the addition
of many of the foreground cultural items I'm including. There
are several Sunset Red ceramic pots,
a woven yucca fiber matte, sandals, a ceremonial stick, several
ears of blue corn, squash and turkey feathers.
See museum reference photos above.
08/16/02...
The only thing added in this picture since the previous
is that I've begun the old wood ladder
and the bird perch stump and branch. This is the first successful
photo taken directly from the
front of the painting and shows pretty accurate color. About 30%
completed now!
08/22/02...
I spent the last three days just painting masonry,
thousands of stones, the beginning of wall texture.
You can see how the upper rooms were organically attached to the
large foundation rock beneath the room block.
08/23/02
Today I started to "flesh out" the faces
of the two macaws.
08/30/02...
This is a bit of photoshop cleverness, the point being:
The part left in color was completely repainted this week!
See three photos above for how it was on Monday. All the rooms in this section were remodeled as well.
09/05/02...
Tons of small details this week! The weave pattern
of the yucca fiber items has been done. If you'll notice,
the Sunset red ceramic bowl has been completely repainted to fix
its perspective to match the other items.
The ladder is nearly finished. The second coat of color on the
squash has been done. And the entire
sun facing surface of the pueblo has been textured for the second
time. Also roof log beams are in place.
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Here's some photographs of types of corn grown by ancient peoples in the southwest, found during my research.
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Here's a close up of the masonry detail at this point,
about 75% done.
09/13/02...
Little by little the light is filling the picture.
I repainted the area behind the ladder this week,
added surface texture to the major foreground stone, added sunlight
to most of the key bushes,
and, oh yes, did some work on the macaws! How could I forget?
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Here's some photographs of types of squash grown by ancient peoples in the southwest, found during my research.
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Here's a close up of the new work on the macaws:
10/04/02...
The devil's in the details, lots of them. I worked
everywhere in the painting this past two weeks.
Lots of changes in the middle ground, more work on the military
macaw, the second step on the Sacred Datura flower,
Lots of texture and sunlight treatment on the large rocks and
the face of the pueblo. I've repainted
the yucca mat, the sandals, the ceramic bowls, the turkey feathers,
the walking stick, and
I've added some Juniper branches, one in the sunset red bowl.
10/18/02...
Lights and darks, lights and darks, all week long.
Enhancement of everything. Repainted the clouds, worked
on the parrots, added sunlight to all the bushes, the Sacred Datura
and foreground rock surfaces.
10/24/02...
More accurate color representative of the actual painting.
The biggest changes you'll notice in this picture
are many details painted on the accouterments in the lower left
corner.
11/03/02... the FINISHED PAINTING (professionally photographed)
I've added the final shadows and some details.
In reality this painting took nearly two years. From the start of my research over a year ago,
two months developing a computerized 3D version based upon the most recent maps and research,
interviews with Chris Downum at Northern Arizona University and
Peter Pilles of the Coconino National Forest,
and three practice paintings before this piece. The background,
including trees and rock formations, are much
as they are today, which I can't verify is how it was exactly
over a thousand years ago. The pueblo is probably
not exact either, as it was always in a state of repair and modification.
But I believe I've represented the general
mass, how it would impact you visually if you walked upon it.
According to the research papers I was allowed
to study the room designated as number 81 was probably the last
one built of the known room blocks. I've
shown it in a state of incompletion with uninstalled roof beams
and piles of loose stones. These same papers
indicated that many buried Scarlet and Military Macaws were found
enshrined here, more than any other
southwest ruin. Hence my homage to their place in the beliefs that built this wonderful place!
NOTE:
This painting was chosen to be in the interpretive displays of the remodeled visitors center
by the National Park Service and the Museum of Northern Arizona, summer 2005.
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Follow up: This painting is based on the reality of this photo, provided to me by
Steve Canipe who is an enthusiastic volunteer at Wupatki National Monument.
My composition is based on the exact same place 1000 years ago. I thought
that you'd like to see this for comparison. Jim Thomas
This page updated 3/20/07
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