Rose Ann Wordcraft

Cooking Up A Painting Called "Cupcake" by Rose Ann Bernatovich "Cupcake", Rose Ann Bernatovich, 8 x 10, Oil On Canvas Board I created "Cupcake," an 8 x 10 oil painting on canvas board, for a benefit supporting the homeless through the Art Students League in New York. I rarely do themed shows. I don’t like to be told what to paint, but this was for a good cause. Participating in this show whenever possible is a way for me to give back. If my painting sells, the Grand Central Neighborhood Social Services Corp. receives a share, or the artist can choose to donate all of the sale proceeds.  The show’s theme was food, so I headed to the supermarket to see what I could find. I initially planned to paint fruit, but I changed my mind when I spotted some colorful cupcakes in the pastry section. It was early Fall, and these cupcakes with bright yellow and orange frosting in squiggles on top, along with cream filling, caught my eye. That looked good to me, in mo...

What's in the Background? by Rose Ann Bernatovich What goes on in the background is important. The hue (color), chroma (saturation), and value (the lightness or darkness) of a background can play a large role in creating a comprehensive design or an overall feeling in a painting. Let’s look at a few examples. The background in Hovsep Pushman’s “When Autumn Is Here”, 1930, works with the foreground to create tranquil harmony. Hovsep Pushman, “When Autumn Is Here”, 1930 Various complementary colors, like reds and greens, surrounded by yellows and purples fill the background. While the foreground is less chromatic than the background, the wilted flower in the little pot is the most chromatic part of the painting. Colors from the background are repeated in the foreground, but they have more opacity. This creates a sculptural quality in the foreground Buddha and pot. In contrast, the background depicts an ancient tapestry or mural, making a modern foreground versus a timeworn, devoti...