Art Challenge #98.pdf

Tony Baselici, a finalist in ART CHALLENGE #98, created "White Widow," an oil painting measuring 24 x 24" (61 x 61 cm). The piece is inspired by the pursuit of beauty, raw emotion, and expression, with a defiant and fierce figure behind a mysterious veil. Influences include marble statues of veiled women from the 1800s, such as Strazza's bust of Blessed Virgin Mary, and fashion photography by David LaChapelle.

The design strategy involves an "in-your-face" composition, with the figure positioned off-center, larger than life, and well-lit against a striking black background. Geometric shapes and visual weight are added with tulle wrapped around the model's shoulders, providing a surface for the black widow spider.

The working process begins with a photo shoot, sometimes combining multiple photos in Photoshop. Instead of sketching, Baselici goes straight to the canvas with paint, marking important landmarks and working the entire canvas to expose flaws and potentials. Most paint mixing happens on the canvas, building up layers, particularly effective for flesh tones. Contact information: [email protected], www.tonybaselici.com.