The Court of the Pomegranate King

Here is this week’s completed painting – the first in my year-long series of 52 larger pieces.  This one is done with oil on mounted linen, and measures 8×10 inches.  Parts of this have dried to a matte finish.  This is not desirable because it shifts the apparent color lighter than it actually is.  A simple coat of varnish will correct this, but I’ll need to wait several weeks until it is completely dry.  There will be a fresh image then.

I used a straight-forward underpainting approach, with a good amount of glazing on top for the color layer.  I also did much of the work from memory, due to my current studio arrangement.

I’m setting this painting aside to include in an exhibit later this year in the Washington, DC area.  More on that to come.

And the title?  It grew out of me thinking about how the crown on the pomegranate really did look like a crown.  With all of the supporting characters around it, the story just suggested itself.