Marc Dalessio | Page 16 | Recent Paintings and General Musings on Art

August 13, 2014 by Marc Dalessio

Turban Portrait Painting

Turban portrait of my wife wearing a Turkish style turban on the island of Korcula.

Tina with a Turban. 70 x 50 cm, oil on linen.

Here, quickly, is a turban portrait I did last month during the overcast and rainy days we had on Korčula. It’s for a turban/hat-themed group show this fall at Ann Long Fine Art in Charleston, SC.

Below are a few of the sketches we tried with various styles of turban. The one we settled on was bought on Ebay, and shipped from Turkey. I had actually wanted a more Venetian-style turban, as it fit with our setting, but getting these things right is more complicated than one would think. These paintings were all done in one sitting with very unsuitable light. We were on a terrace with only reflected light off of the garden around us. It’s always interesting trying new lighting set-ups, though having one strong light source makes for a much simpler painting experience.

Portrait sketch with turban, painted on Korcula, Croatia.

Turban Sketch #1. 25 x 23 cm, oil on panel.

Venetian style turban portrait painting, done on the Croatian island of Korcula.

Turban Sketch #2. 25 x 25 cm, oil on panel.

Turban portrait with a Turkish-style turban painted on the Croatian island of Korcula.

Turban Sketch #3. 25 x 23 cm, oil on panel.

Update: Here is an earlier attempt:

Turban portrait with a Turkish-style turban.

The Turkish Turban. 35 x 25 cm, oil on panel.

August 13, 2014 by Marc Dalessio

Dan’s Papers Cover

I have a painting on the cover of Dan’s Papers in the Hamptons this week, be sure to pick up your copy. There was also an interview which you can read online here.

(Photo credit: Thomas Shelford)

August 6, 2014 by Marc Dalessio

Pelješac Paintings

Plein air landscape painting of Mali Ston, Croatia.

Sunset, Mali Ston. 20 x 30 cm, oil on panel.

Pelješac is a peninsula in Southern Dalmatia and it’s probably my favorite area on the Croatian coast. While there are other islands and areas with more beautiful cities, they also tend to get a lot more of the cruise-ship crowds. Pelješac manages to have more of that slow-paced beach feel to it, and the people seem much friendlier. They also make the best red wines in Croatia, and the food in general is excellent (they have these great little oyster stands by the side of the roads with the local Adriatic oysters).

Plein air landscape painting of Ston, Croatia.

Ston, Midday. 30 x 20 cm, oil on panel.

Plein air landscape painting of a church in Broce, Croatia.

Church in Broce. 32 x 23 cm, oil on panel.

There is a wide variety of subject matter on Pelješac, as there are relatively high mountains on the western side, whereas the eastern part has a much more gentle slope to the sea. Though the towns may not be as postcard-perfect as the other places along the coast, they are still exceedingly picturesque for painting. They are also very small, and the views are concentrated. When one is scouting with equipment in the August heat in Southern Europe, smaller is better.

Plein air painting of a BBQ in Mali Ston, Croatia.

Street Barbecue in Mali Ston. 30 x 20 cm, oil on panel.

Sleeping Dog. 20 x 30 cm, oil on panel.

August 6, 2014 by Marc Dalessio

Vrnik Painting Timelapse

Here is a quick, 30 second, timelapse film taken over the course of five days while working on my large plein air landscape painting of the village of Vrnik. I was standing on the island of Korčula, across the small channel seen in the painting. The footage is of five days, but I was actually there six, and I have no idea what happened to the photos from the sixth day, sorry.

Below is an image of the final painting.

Plein air landscape painting of Vrnik, Croatia.

Vrnik. 70 x 90 cm, oil on linen.

It was a great spot to paint as I could stand in the shade the whole time. Also, in the painting I’m looking east, so the shadow of the tree is pointing north. This allowed me to work for up to six hours a day without the effect changing too much. The only really dramatic change was the sun came around and put Vrnik in full sunlight, whereas I wanted the buildings to be half in shadow for the effect. In the afternoons I could work on the foreground and the water, provided the wind didn’t get too strong. Finally, the clouds did the same thing, with only a slight variation, almost every day.

July 30, 2014 by Marc Dalessio

Korčula Paintings, Part Two

Update: Below is the last larger plein air piece from the trip. It took three days, and I had to hold the canvas with one hand while painting to keep it still in the high winds.

Afternoon Light, Korčula. 50 x 70 cm, oil on linen.

Vrnik. 70 x 90 cm, oil on linen.

Here are a few more plein air landscapes from this summer on the island of Korčula, in Southern Dalmatia.

As I said in the last post, the weather has been really difficult (it’s supposed to hail today), so I haven’t gotten as much done as I would have liked. I’m hoping for one more day of sun to finish up the other larger plein air pieces I have going. I’ll try to post them before I leave for Italy next week.

In the meantime here are a few more of the smaller sketches: