Ted’s Red Devil (lure painting)

This is one of the smallest oil paintings I’ve done in a while.  This was my Cousin Ted’s childhood lure and as such was on loan to me for this painting.   Being such a small lure there was only so big the painting needed to be.  It was also one of those paintings I had mixed feelings about before I started but once I began working on the painting I began to really like the results I was getting.

I wasn’t convinced in my mind that the painting was going to work and for such a small painting I wouldn’t bother doing any studies in paint.  I mean, by the time I worked out a study or two I could have painted the final painting anyway.  So, with that in mind I just tend to paint these simple, little paintings with not too much planning.

This is one of those spoon type fishing lures and the side I’m exhibiting is the side with all the color.  The other side is simply reflective metal.

I’ve been painting many of my lure paintings with some kind of string attached to the lure.  The string then goes to the nail and the whole thing hangs from it.  There’s usually some kind of tackle involved too… maybe a swivel or two and a clasp.  I like keeping things not only authentic, but the addition of these parts makes for a more interesting painting as well.

I love tarnished, green clasps!

I’ve been using a single strand of linen or cotton to hang some lures.  Other ones, especially the larger popping plugs I’ve been using a wire liter.  The real coated metal kind, so a fish can’t bite through the line.  But this time I used actual fishing line to suspend this little red devil lure.

It’s always nice to break out some red paints.  If you follow my work you may have realized that I don’t paint often with red.  Red really does make a nice statement when used once and a while though.  I’ll be on the lookout for more red things to paint in the future.

This painting was started with a grisaille layer.  A grisaille is a monochromatic underpainting which establishes all the values of the painting.  I’ve been using grisailles more and more lately.  I then painted on top with a few more layers of paint and some final details to complete it.

I’m not always crazy about all my work, but  can honestly say that I like this painting.

I like the way the fishing line is present but almost nonexistent at the same time.