Trivia Quiz: What activity can be messy in nature, requires lots of paper towels, yet fun and enjoyable, and with a scent that can make you go high the longer you do it?
Answer: Oil Painting, that is!
Well, this is it. My very first oil painting (click onto the picture to take a closer look). At the back of my head, I know one day I will regret on posting something so amateurish in my website. However, true to what my website is about – where good things are meant to be shared – I am exciting to share with you what I have learnt so far.
(Quick look at how this painting compares to the real setting)
When I first told people around me that I wish to do oil painting, I have some interesting responses. Mark, for instance, thinks that I can do it because he has seen some of the doodles I have posted in my site. I think he has more confidence in me than I have with myself. Tong Kiat is more pragmatic. He suggested watercolour instead as the medium of oil painting can be smelly. Breathing in too much of it can get people high. Turned out that his sister has painted in oils before and he even knows someone who can be the critic – as I cannot afford a tutor – for merely S$20. A friend of mine (better not write her name down) even volunteered to be a live model. Again, amazing confidence she has in me. And Cynthia’s response can at times be flattering as she thinks that whatever comes out of my hands are good.
Took me nearly an hour to unpack all the stuffs and set up my oil painting studio. The entire set, including the brand new lamp that I got it from Ikea today for S$19, costs me just over S$200 and I think it is a worthwhile investment. This first oil painting of mine titled “Fruits and Wine” took me 1.5 hour to paint and am definitely looking forward to my next one. The books I have read all suggested to paint something simple as a beginner because success breeds success. I guess I just wish to skip the boxes and single fruit for now.
Click here for my oil painting “gallery”.
5 replies on “My 1st Oil Painting – Fruits and Wine (2007)”
wow, great job for a first-timer!
speaking of Ikea… at first glance, it can pass off as one of those paintings sold at Ikea. 🙂
not bad wor….
you named it fruit and wine, how abt the CD album with the love symbol? does it signify anything?
perhaps perhaps… you may want to tell a story with the painting? haha…. just trying to suggest cheem cheem stuffs.
like you know the movie da vinci code? those paintings tell a story…although i don’t really understand those well, but i thought it is interesting to be able to associate your painting with a story to tell
Hey there, thanks for you two’s kind words. My first painting is pretty amateurish and I have already skipped quite a lot of steps. But I like the “telling a story part” (oh, that blue “thing” is the Feb issue of Reader’s Digest by the way). How about … the fruits on the plate represents the colour of the present happiness, the wine is in fact grapes (one kind of fruit) in a matured state … and love takes time to nurture and mature. There you go!
Far fetched … I know …
….. oh ya…. the smell of the paintings can be quite strong… my honest comment on the smell after sharing the same room with the paintings and the paint for a few days is that……………… i didn’t find the smell get me high… (hahaha…) May be I am a bit over-sensitive to the smell of paint… my fingers, palms, and feet got swollen a bit….. however, i am not too sure how strong is that correlation in the case of oil painting…. but it’s always difficult to find the cause for allergy….
I thought you may be allergic to the Turpentine (smell of the medium) as many do. That’s why I asked you to move those stuffs out of the common bedroom if the smell makes you uncomfortable. Guess you are too shy … ha ha ha.
There is another medium that is the low odour thinning medium (for painting) that supposes to have the same effect. I need to find out how to substitute for the brush cleaning medium.
Well … if you are not sure, you are welcome to return and we can conduct the same allergy experiment on you again 🙂