I gave it all I had - late nights were a part of it, as well as hours of watching YouTube videos on oil painting techniques. I had to majorly brush up on my skills because I hadn’t touched oil paint since high school. In fact, I had only done two other oil paintings ever, and one I haven’t even finished yet. Even though I wasn’t a fan of oil when I first tried it, I grew to love it as I relearned techniques and attacked this challenge head-on. I was a bit scared at first - I didn’t know where to start. Although I didn’t have much experience, I knew that oil would be the best medium for the scale and subject matter. Plus, the original 1937 painting was oil on canvas, which was a common medium for that time. I wanted my painting to be connected to the original in more ways than one, and I knew that choosing oil was the first step to making that happen.
There were multiple times I got frustrated with how slowly the paint dried - I was used to quick-drying acrylic paint, which allowed me to cover up any mistakes almost immediately. Oil tested my patience over and over. I had to start with the background and work my way toward the foreground. Each layer took days, sometimes weeks to dry. Since I was in a time crunch, I had to work strategically. I learned how to plan ahead and paint smart.
I believe I did more than simply recreate another artist’s work. I began with a bright and cheerful early morning sky, I added a few sunspots on the grass and driveway, and highlighted the golden early-fall leaves. The ivy ended up being my favorite addition - I had to paint it last because I had to let the background dry first. I loved adding contrast, the back-and-forth between the highlights and shadows in each leaf, that when strung together, created an entire bed of ivy that enveloped the brickwork. The final details included individual blades of grass, highlights on the ironwork, and variations in color on the bricks.
The coolest part about this project is that it now hangs in the exact same spot where the original Gallison Hall painting hung for years. I’m honored to have my original work here for brides and grooms, wedding guests, the Williamsons, and all who enter Gallison to see. I hope that my work inspires others to find beauty in nature, art, and architecture.
