If you've been following along in the VAFF or Su Casa groups, you already know that my husband and I have been actively engaged in a HUGE Garden and Patio Makeover project. Part of the Patio Project included creating a privacy screen, cut down to 6' wide by 4' high, from an 8' x 4' sheet of plywood. That 4' by 2' piece has now been put to work and used as a substrate for additional garden art, mountd on the wall of the work shed that my husband built in the summer of 2007.

The following post contains the details of development, taking this work from an original digital illustration to traditional media. Click here to read more about the entire project as a whole.

The original illo: hand drawn and digitally inked with the aid of Adobe Illustrator.

I adore the edginess of the piece and I think it's a great contrast, in both style and color, to The Farmer's Wife. My intention with all of this garden and patio art is to eventually have an outdoor gallery of my work that will be strong, provocative, and undeniably original. Thus my husband and I decided on Plucking Joyful as the piece that would be featured near the tomato garden.

A few issues of scale and proportion arose as I was considering the reworking of the original piece. To begin with, the original illustration was drawn as a 12 by 12 inch work. This created the need for a bit of digital planning, which I accomplished between Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

The digital plan [version 1] to go from a 12 x 12 inch work to a 4' x 2' using traditional media.

Once I printed the piece on paper, my husband brought up the point that this "nude", and more specifically her posture, might be considered "obscene" by some people in the neighborhood and could incite some of the boys in the area in ways that their parents might not appreciate.

"Excuse me", I said, "But there are no 'parts' on display and the nudity is merely a matter of perception. She is little more than a line drawing - not profane in anyway."

He agreed that she, herself, is not profane and that he would have no problem with his 12 year old grandson being in the same room with her, even at life size proportions. Still, he continued to express the fact that exciting the imaginations of 12 year old boys and further fueling the parents' need for censorship might not be such a good idea in this "suburban" environment.

Yes. He had a point and after due consideration I agreed to rework the piece for content while still keeping a firm hold on the meaning behind the art. Thus I proceded to produce the second digital plan.

The digital plan [version 2] to go from a 12 x 12 inch work to a 4' x 2' using traditional media.

On Saturday I sat down with the board, which I had sanded and primed through the course of the week. It started with a pencil sketch and was worked through to this color blocked version.

Color-blocked acrylic work on 4' x 2' plywood.

I don't feel comfortable going through the front of finished pieces, so the color blocked version was fleshed out just a wee bit more and then mounted on the side of the shed. Aluminum bolts were used to prevent rusting and bleeding. 1/2" wooden spacers allow for breathing room between the back of the painting and the shed. This should prevent mold, mildew, and subsequent damage to the piece.

The 4' x 2' work, hung for final finishing details. [View 2]

The finish work that is required for this piece to be complete includes adding some shading to the hand, shadows to the figure heads, and some over painting of the sun. As I noted in the title, this is a "work in progress" and, if my luck holds out, I may be able to finish her today.

The 4' x 2' work, hung for final finishing details

The finished piece: 48" wide by 24" high. Acrylic on plywood. Signed & Sealed

Sorry for the photo quality. You might think that with the camera I have I could frame and light a decent shot. But nooooooo... I never said I was a photographer. Please. Keep that in mind.