Painting Poppies – the Process
In December 2013, I wrote about the process of creating a painting for my step-daughter and her husband for their 25th Wedding Anniversary. They wanted picture of poppies blowing in the wind. To fit the space in their home, the work needed to 24 x 60 inches…at the time it would have been the largest canvas I had painted which made me very nervous. So I started with baby steps and created a number of smaller pieces first!
2013-38 Remember, Acrylic on Canvas, 6×6 ins, Copyright Wendie Donabie
2013-37 Field of Poppies #1, Acrylic on Canvas, 5 x7, Copyright Wendie Donabie 2013
2013-39 Singular Poppy, Acrylic paint & gel mediums on canvas, 6×6 ins, Copyright Wendie Donabie 2013
Finally I painted one I refer to as my Preparatory Poppy Painting (12 x 24 inches) as the composition for the larger work. It was completed close to Remembrance Day (November 11, 2013) so I called it, Field of Remembrance.
Field of Remembrance, Acrylic on Canvas, 12 x 24 inches, Framed ($450 Cdn). Copyright Wendie Donabie, 2013
It took me months to finally get around to starting and, at last, finishing Alicia’s Poppy Field in early December 2014. Due to the size of the canvas, I couldn’t use the easel in my studio space. So, our dining room table became my work space for the duration of the painting’s creation.
Here are a few shots of the steps along the way. I emailed Alicia as I made progress each day.
Setting up the dining room table to begin. Pencilled in the horizon line. Reference photos above the canvas on the left.
I started with the sky….
Next I painted the clouds….
Added the distant background, middle ground and foreground.
The canvas is ready for the addition of the poppies and poppy buds…
When I painted Field of Remembrance, I used Cadium Yellow over the Cadmium Red to add some glow to the poppies but I wasn’t happy with the result. An artist friend suggested putting the Cad Yellow under the Cad Red instead. I followed her advice.
Here is the final painting with the glow I was looking for.
Alicia’s Poppy Field, Acrylic on Canvas, 24 x 60 inches, Copyright Wendie Donabie 2014
I’d love your feedback! – Wendie
Copyright Wendie Donabie 2014
To view my portfolio, please visit www.wendiedonabie.com
- Posted in: Acrylic Painting ♦ Art ♦ Creativity ♦ Fine Art ♦ Flower painting ♦ Landscape painting ♦ Painting ♦ Poppy painting
- Tagged: Acrylic, Art for Sale, Canadian Artist, Field of Poppies, Fine art, Poppy, Poppy Painting
Blue Heron Writes 
This is a beautiful painting and a well stepped out process.
That’s really beautiful!
THank you! Love the work on your blog… especially that ‘slim’ wall.
Well thanks for popping over!
Beautiful paintings, all of them, and it’s interesting to follow the process too! I’m a first time visitor here, thanks to a search on “poppy”. I’m totally fascinated by this flower. I beleive Alicia is very happy now!
Thank you for your comments…:)
It reminds me of the poppy field outside of Monet’s Garden. Very lovely and the poppies are radiant.
Thanks so much Claremary….
Wendie, You’re truly welcome…Clare
Absolutely beautiful Wendie !!!
Thank you Martin!