The Road

The Road

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2017

sold

I am so excited about this! There is a whole situation that goes along with this painting! I have been asked to do a big commission for a lovely in-love couple. They are literally the cutest and their story is an inspiration. They came across a beautiful image by professional photographer Les Chelle and, with his permission, have asked me to create a large 40x60 inch canvas of the scene with my interpretation in paint! What?! It is a huge, blank canvas right now. This is going to be crazy! When it is done it will be the largest painting I have ever made... and I seriously want to knock it out of the park!

Interestingly enough, I made the assumption that it was the dramatic sky that drew them to the photo, but after a few email consultations it became clear that they had a real and personal connection to the road. For them it symbolizes the journey they are taking together through life; the path they are walking together to the days ahead. I love that and I want to do them right and their love story right by this painting.

I began prepping for this project by spending time on the weekend with the image and cropping it in slightly different ways, then printing each version out as resource. On Tuesday afternoon I sat down and did the above little study as I began to think about colour mixing for the project. I love painting to music, so I found a beautiful song in my CD collection called "The Road" by Eileen Laverty who is a local musician and Saskatchewan treasure. I made a little video for Instagram with that song playing in the background. Please go have a look if you have a moment (click the camera icon on the right-hand side of this page to get over there). The lyrics are lovely and are fitting to the sweet, gentle, supportive and committed love that this painting will represent.

"...And then I saw the roses in your smile

And lilies danced as hand in hand the miles passed by.

We went traveling on the road..."

(from The Road - Eileen Laverty, © 2006)

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