soul and purpose

"Through my paintings I hope to communicate a personal enthusiasm and respect for the natural world, thus encourage in others an active stewardship of same." -- JEANNE ILLENYE

cozy knits realism - little gems oil painting by jeanne illenye

“Cozy Knits” 5x5 inches / oil on panel © Jeanne Illenye
Challenged by this month’s group subject of striped socks, I finally settled on my third idea which is presented here. Being that I love detail in both my paintings and needlework, I seemed to be increasingly intrigued by every photo and zoomed closer each time. Presenting my subjects in warm shades of oatmeal (rather than the actual bright red & white of the socks) underscored the cozy ambience. Little did I know at the onset that painting a pile of knitted items with a degree of accuracy was nearly as time consuming as actually knitting them!

6 comments:

Diana Moses Botkin said...

Oh Dear Jeanne, I don't doubt your beautiful painting was time-intensive to paint! It's so amazing. Can you tell I love detail, also?!

That feeling of warmth was my first impression too when I saw your piece. I think this painting could be a good substitute for a warm fire on a winter's day.

Paintings by Irit Bourla said...

Another WOW piece.
It is 80s today in Santa Monica so to see this brings winter's memory...
Wonderful idea well done!!!!

JEANNE ILLENYE said...

Thank you SO much, Diana! Yes, I think details are so intriguing, particularly for us as artists! These knits were just so irresistible piled high with the blustery Winter snow outside! Thank you for your lovely comments! Jeanne

JEANNE ILLENYE said...

Thank you SO much, Irit! Oh I remember those warm days...80 degrees is just a faint memory for us here in snow covered Michigan! I'm glad I could bring a little coziness to your thoughts. It's amazing how a single image can conjure up so many "warm" memories. Thank you for your wonderful comments! Jeanne

Gerald Schwartz said...

Talk about a knockout painting, the knit & sock is wonderful along with the composition.. Great job!

JEANNE ILLENYE said...

Thank you SO much, Gerald! I imagined a rainbow of colors and seeing the socks in various compositions until I got the idea not to really focus on them...rather, tuck them into something more dominant in theme. Then eliminating the color made it feel much more comfortable for me! Thank you for your wonderful comments! Jeanne


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