My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Hey everyone :)

I'm new here and I've been speaking with Char and had some really great encouraging feedback from her and so I thought I'd share my portrait with all of you. I worked so very hard on it.
I also have a blog that I wrote upon it's completion...just mainly talking about why I painted it and stuff.
I'll try and post the image here, or you can visit my website to see the portrait.

So far I haven't got any plans to sell the original, but I have plans to make prints. I'd really love Gord to see it one day, that would be such an honor for me.

Cheers, Vanessa
http://www.corfid.com/vbb/picture.ph...=3&pictureid=5

Gordon Lightfoot
Sings The Edmund Fitzgerald
Oil on Paper, 2008
33" x 36"

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Welcome to Corfid ness faerie ( Vanessa),

The painting is very lovely, 'A Painter Passing Thru' w/ 'The Fitz' in the background. You are really talented. :)

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Hey Vanessa!
Glad you posted your info and the painting.
I was waiting for your permission to post it..
;)
talk to you soon!
Char

check out Vanessa's website and see the beautiful work she does!
(she has linked to the site in her post)

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Beautiful!
Have you considered approaching the Maritime Sailor's Museum - Gift Shop to sell prints there? I'm sure you'd get lots of takers. And welcome Vanessa!
Yuri

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Thanks Char and everyone :) This is so cool. The advice about the Maritime Sailors Museum is an awesome suggestion and I might look into that. Heaven knows I've been a week away from living under a bridge the last few years, all for the love of being an artist...lol.
And it's so weird, I did the portrait mainly because I liked Lightfoot so much, but then after I showed him at the Art Show I had such a positive response that I think maybe I actually could earn a living as a portrait artist...or something like.

Cheers, Vanessa

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Hello, Vanessa :)

Your portrait of Gordon is lovely and very well done. :) I think he would be very touched by your efforts and all the hard work you put into it.

Good luck to you. I hope your dream of earning a living as an artist comes true. You certainly have the talent to carry it out.
Thanks so much for sharing with us.

Anne

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

This is a very nice painting and a very impressive web site that Vanessa has shared with us here. Keep up the good work Vanessa and thank you doing this for us.
Ron J.

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Hi Vanessa,
you have a real talent. Go for it, girl. You have what it takes. I think Yuri's suggestion is spot on. Follow that thru. The Lightfoot painting is stunning.
Thank you for sharing it.

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Thanks everyone for your comments, it's really lifted my spirits! I hope you are all right...I'll sure give it my best try :)

Vanessa

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Very nice Vanessa, I'd line up to buy a print of that fine painting. Great job, keep up the good work.

Bill :)

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Hi Vanessa,

Thanks for sharing your fine art painting of Gordon Lightfoot with all of us. It's really quite special and I'm sure your work will be very well received. Thanks again and good luck with your painting.

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Vanessa,

Great job on the portrait!

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Vanessa - I have no other words for that painting that fit except incredible talent. The image of Gord from A Painter Passing Thru is almost photo-realistic. Knowing nothing of art myself other than what appeals to me as either beatiful or skilled (as in photo-realistic) - you nailed it 100% on both. I would say as a layman to the arts, you have more than what it takes, you are going to be a major contender in the art world.

Yuri's suggestion, as Silverheels said well: is spot on - and have no reservations about your talent whatsoever. I don't frequent the art world much, but I have not seen such a magnificent photo-realistic (thats good, right?...it is to ME) painting of Gordon in all my life. Unless Yuri is speaking of the museum at the Lake Erie end (Yuri ?), and I do not believe he is, consider as well the similar floating museum in the Cleveland area at the intended destination of the Edmund F.

It has been there for at least 30 years; I walked thru it around '78, you'll need a local to tell you if its still in the harbour-front area of Lakewood, a suburb of CLeveland. They also have a gift shop, and you would OWN that bridge after a few months of selling that ..that awesome painting !

One member you could Personal Message that would likely know I think is Wes Steel, while I believe of Huron , Ohio, he is more than familiar with the Cleveland waterfront area, and he would know the amazing museum on board a ship anchored permanenty as a museum there. Wes (and numerous other members) have been to the 'La Cave' , where Gord made his USA debut in the 60's in Cleveland as well.

Best of luck, and if you need help locating a Clevelander who can help on the museum I am thinking of - 'PM' me - I grew up there, and could give an old friend or 2 a call on its whereabouts and get an address and phone # for you.

We can say we knew you when you did not know your work was genius ! And it is, to me ! Best of Luck, Vanessa.

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

hi vanessa, nice painting...congrats and keep the dream alive:)

- i really like the cup of coffee painting, great highlight work - i wondered if you painted that from as still life or from a photo? i really thought your stuff was airbrushed acrylic on canvas initially...what kind of 'paper' do you paint on?

- love your tiles, especially the pears & apples and the pears

- a photorealism artist and former mentor of fine suggested taking my own photos or working with a partner if choosing to get into that style...i don't think there is any red tape if you are doing works for exhibit purposes only - i had created a glenn gould piece from a photo by karsh as well as some other musical tribute pieces created from others photos that i eventually gave away to good homes after i became flustered over the whole 'credit' and possible royalty issues...something to beware of anyhow...btw, he made a living teaching and used painting as a creative release but 20 years later had a large enough portfolio to have his own show and make good few long overdue bucks! he would always say "come on, paint big!", meaning get those 48 x 60" canvased filled, lol

i realize that Gord typically performs The Wreck using a 12 string guitar, but would like to actually hear a 6 string 'picked' version...i don't know if the time signature lends itself to a picking style, any pickers ever tried this? maybe A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot and The Edmund Fitzgerald is an optional title....either way, Gord will be awe struck and very moved:)

it's so nice to see others filling the shoes of Danby....and it's nice to see some 'genuine' works of art in the Photoshop world we now live in...you've love to meet Ron's son, Liam and have a rap...yet another talent:)

cheers, j

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Hi everyone, thank you for all the positive words of encouragement :)

Geodeticman and Senior member, Yes I picked that photo as a reference for this derivative painting because like me, it's the painter passing through album, and I also picked it because of his facial expression. This is of course why i am not likely going to sell the original painting, and a little hesitant to make prints without first checking with the photographer and copyrights. I'm sure there won't be any issues, after all, it would be kinda hard for me to personally get a photo of Gord myself, and I'm hoping it is viewed as a good-hearted tribute to him :)
But definitely if all goes well i will contact the people you suggest. It would be so great to have this painting bring some warmth to people. I look at it on the wall here in my studio and I think wow, I couldn't have created that...did I?
As far as the 12 string guitar, I realize he usually plays a 12 but if you only knew the cursing and swearing comin' outta me as I was running a brush along a ruler trying to paint guitar strings, i thought, ok rather than wreck it...I'm going to just leave it a 6 string!
And thank you Senior Member for visiting my website! I did actually take a still life photo of my very own morning cup of coffee (I left out the Tim Horton's Logo though...lol) and that painting is acrylic on stretched canvas. There's two other paintings in that set, the tea pot and cookie jar, and they are both painted in oils.
The paper that i used for Dr. Maya Angelou and Gordon Lightfoot is a treated, acid-free paper, it's fairly thick, but not stiff and it really takes a beating from the working of brushes and cloths without any tears or scuffing. I actually had I large stack of it given to me from StoreImage, and so I am not sure of any other details other than that. When it comes to many areas in the Maya portrait and the sky in Gord's painting I used a soft cloth with a little linseed oil and rubbed in the gradients, blending it together which creates an "airbrushed" look. I think I will post a close up of Gord's face and you will see some brush strokes in there. Also, i used a very limited palette of colours, lemon yellow, yellow ochre, cadmium red light, cadmium red dark, Phthalo blue, ultramarine blue, and titanium white...and a few accent colours such as carbon black, cadmium orange and burnt umber.
It's sad i had just discovered Ken Danby's work just recently, God rest his soul, and his portrait of Gord is stunning and very ethereal...makes Gord look like an angel. Glad you posted that image.

Cheers, Vanessa
http://www.corfid.com/vbb/picture.ph...=3&pictureid=6

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

wreck it? good pun, lol

it's great as is!!! and you should check out Currys for some great tools that would help with painting lines...can't remember the tool name i would use for similar challenges but not sure if it would work with oils...just adding the 6 more tuning pegs would probably have worked (artistic license:) )

yes, i'm sure it would be taken a a good hearted tribute...similar to the videos to Gord tunes the gang has been doing

btw, Reprise owns the rights to that image...i thought that was a photo on the APPT cover, was it a painting? i can't find the CD booklet just now

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:A...ingThrough.jpg

you've got a huge product catalogue there so you must know all about legal headaches ...you must admire the restored artwork on the ceiling of Brantford's Sanderson Centre, eh? :)

Danby's stuff is mind boggling....same said for Robert Bateman
enjoy your gift!
senior member

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

photos from APPT - Greg Heisler

http://www.gregoryheisler.com/ - click on the word PORTRAITS to see his work.

http://www.vancouverphotoworkshops.c...r_workshop.htm

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Vanessa,

Speaking for those of us who have yet to master a 'stick figure', your work is mind boggling.

Question : You mention in your blog that Lightfoot tunes sometime create the ambience in which you work. Are there any particular tunes that you find most inspirational ?

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

I don't know how to thank you Charlene and Senior for all your help in finding the original photographer, I wasn't sure where to start.
I will check out Curry's, that store has got to be one of my fave places to shop :) Ya no more wrecks...lol
Yes Brantford Sanderson Center ceiling is awesome, I remember when they were changing it from a movie theater into a performance theater and people were so worried that they would paint over the ceiling rather than spend the money restoring.
All of Gord's music is great, but the ones that really get my mind going are: Restless, Shadows, Inspiration lady, Ghosts of Cape horn, I'm Not Supposed To Care(I can relate to this one), The Pony Man, Ribbon Of Darkness, Rainy Day People, Something Very Special, Hi'way Songs (I play it loud), Now And Then, Always on the Bright Side, East of Midnight, A Passing Ship (I play it loud), Blackberry Wine (I play it loud), Carefree Highway (I play it loud), Early Morning Rain (I play it loud), The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald (I play it loud), Solfy, If You Could Read My Mind, Alberta Bound (I play it loud), Steel Rail Blues, Canadian Railroad Trilogy (I play it loud), Pussywillows, Cat-Tails, Song For A Winters Night (love this one), The Circle is Small (I can relate to this one), If Children Wings. A Painter Passing Through.

Thats all I can think o right now that I really like. I am missing a lot of CD's though.

Cheers, Vanessa

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Vanessa, I - personally - would love to see what you do with 'Christian Island'. :)

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

I knew they'd love your work Vanessa! There's a fine bunch of folks here and I think I can safely say that we're all glad you're here!
I lost track of how many hours I've spent looking at your website since we hooked up a few weeks ago....
;)

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Thanks Charlene, I'm glad to be here :) I have been thinking about what you said Silverheels, and I feel inspired to paint my interpretation of Christian Island. I thought a long time ago about doing a big mural of The Pony Man for a kids room...that would be so sweet.
I hope my website is up an running again soon, I had to switch providers yesterday.
Cheers, Vanessa

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Vanessa, I cannot wait to see your 'Christian Island'! :D

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

woah, wasn't that back in 1929? you deserve to be fast tracked to Senior Member status, lol

i don't know which is more fun: shopping at Currys for art stuff or Lee Valley for old tool stuff? of course, both too pricey to purchase much but fun to poke around aimlessly:)

hi Bru!...good pic with CI...that Pony Man concept soundgreat too, V

V, you should go up to Orillia for a weekend and volunteer to do an "alley mural" down that Gordon Lightfoot Avenue....once you get the medley of images concepted in mind, you just need local stores to donate a lot of paint and some local contractor dudes to put up some scaffolding...in this case, YOU could be the painter passing through:)

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

JJ, she has to do 'Christian Island' first - do not distract her! :)

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Hey JJ - we 've got a Currys here in town..c'mon out and we can go browse..I can pretend I know how to use all of those art sluppies!
and Lee Valley is not far away in Scarborough..I can be found flipping thru their pages on-line..LOVE that place..
Hey Vanessa - maybe you can teah me to draw a straight line with a ruler..
;)
Lordy knows I've given up trying to be a musical genius..JJ can attest to it that I am capable of only dusting my piano..

A mural in Orillia would be awesome.

Hey Vanessa - if you're game I'll help in the organizing/e-mails/calls etc. And we'll get JJ up there to help...

Heck I think there should be one on the wall of Massey Hall!

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Quote: woah, wasn't that back in 1929? you deserve to be fast tracked to Senior Member status, lol

Actually it was 1989 when it was renamed the Sanderson Centre and I was 16 years old! :)

Charlene, I'm game...but lets wait for some warm weather, I don't know how well I'd do painting with icicles hanging from my fingers...lol

Cheers, Vanessa

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Hi Vanessa,
ii & Silverheels have some great ideas! Just for the halibut* - I'd like to see what you would do with the imagery in "Too many Clues In This Room", from the album Summertime Dream. The picture is great! Can't wait to see more!

-Gary

* see "I lobster and Never Flounder" by Pinkard & Bowen

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Vanessa - I will wait till spring..I, despite being a proud Canuck, hate the winter..
You're officially on notice for this project...between now and then I will research contacts in Orillia..

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Hey folks, wanna see a cool T-shirt design? It's called "Squeeze Me! I'm Organic"...lol. I just had to show you guys cause it's so cute. I don't know where I come up with this stuff! I designed it early yesterday morning. I wonder if I could design some sort of Gordon Lightfoot T-shirt? CafePress has rules, so if I did one I can't show his face, but I think I could do quotes. I'll see what I can come up with and I'll then post it here.

Cheers, Vanessa
http://www.corfid.com/vbb/picture.ph...=4&pictureid=7

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

OK Vanessa - so between now and spring you can produce 'Christian Island' ... :)

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

love the t-shirt!

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Hey thanks Silverheels :) Ya I could get it done by then, likely way before then, especially if I use the same technique I did with the Fitzgerald one. Do you think there would be a buyer if it looks good? Might be best to see it first I guess eh :)

Cheers, Vanessa

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Great looking T-shirt Vanessa, I would wear that or any one that would have to do with Gordon Lightfoot. :)

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Let's see how it turns out first ... you could auction it on eBay if there are no buyers here .. ;)

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

there's a whole wall in Orillia with a portrait of Stephen Leacock..time for a Lightfoot one. Gord was born there..Leacock wasn't..
;)

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

First off,welcome to the site Ness_faerie! :)

Second,you'll have to pardon my delay in responding to you about this brilliant painting,I don't have a lot of free time like when I first joined here.

Wonderful work and might i add brilliant as well! :cool: I couldn't even cvome close to that kind of art.

Keep it up! I like it very much. ;)

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

I think...but I'm not sure...that there actually a school named Steven Leacock here in Brantford...lol. Steve gets around!
Hey thanks Borderstone! Hopefully this is just the beginning of great art. Anyways folks I e-mailed the photographer of " A Painter Passing Through" and so far have not gotten a reply. I will try again to contact him, perhaps by phone.

Cheers, Vanessa

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

hi vanessa, sr member here...

just a note regarding the challenge of painting those guitar strings....i don't know if it works as well with oils but I would use this tool (pic of a ruling pen) when trying to paint something fine with acrylics...you just load in a bit of paint with your brush and then adjust the tension knob until it will run ever so slowly as you take it along side of a raised straight edge rule ...it's probably meant as a draftman's tool for final ink versions

note: Greg Heisler was the guy who took the photo of Joni that was used for the recent stamp series...great shot really...cheers...sir jj

Re: My first portrait of Gordon Lightfoot
 

Thanks Senior member, I'll look into that tool. Ya I love Joni Mitchell, especially the songs, Blue and River.