ron sebring

the art of ...

...images real and imagined

When first approached to do this commission, I was not really sure how to begin.  What do you do to paint a painting that would be the essence of a wedding?  How and/or what would be expressive of such a special event?  The place?  The people?  The symbols of the event?  What is important, anyway?

The event was a Scottish wedding to take place in Estes Park, Colorado, in the dead of winter, at the old Stanley Hotel, and the wedding was going to be outdoors.  So my preconception was that of focusing on the place, the event, and the Scottish flavor. 

My plan for this trip was to do several on-site sketches and photos of the area, the Stanley Hotel, and the wedding event and participants.  Once there we quickly found out that time to do on-site sketches was going to be a problem.

Connie and I stayed at the “Inn on Fall River”.  A place we would recommend to anyone planning a trip to Estes Park, and a place we will stay on our return trip this fall.  We plan to return in the fall to catch the color of the aspens.

SPECIAL PROJECTS:  Painting for the Bethune Wedding

Day 1 - January 1, 2009

Arrived at the Denver airport and drove up to Estes Park.  Checked in to our room at the Inn on Fall River, and met the Bethunes at the Stanley Hotel.

Sketch of baby spruce trees and rocks along a frozen Fall River

Day 2 - January 2, 2009

We began the day by taking a drive through the Rocky Mountain National Park, and getting a feel for the area.

Then we spent the day at the Stanley to get an idea of where the wedding was going to be.  I attempted to sketch the Stanley, but began to see the problem of time, and the time I would need to sketch...photos were going to have to be my choice for reference and sketches back in my studio in Florida.

Sketch of the many elk in Rocky Mountain National Park

Sketch of Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep

Another elk sketch

Quick sketch study of Stanley

Anticipated view for wedding

Day 3 - January 3, 2009 - the day of the wedding

Much colder, cloudier day with a light snow the night before. 

Again, the time element would only allow reference photos.  Here are a number of sketches from those photos.  I have done these to get a feel for the event, and an attempt to study likenesses of the people involved.  Some hit the mark, so do not...need to work on that...

Groom and his brother - It is almost time...

Bride and Groom

One possible view of the wedding...Sketch #1 - Scheme #1

Best Man & Groomsmen

Preacher Sketches...

Groom's Sister & Bridesmaid

Bride's Mom & Dad

Bagpipes...

Mountains to the East...one of the views for the wedding, sketch #2 - Scheme #2

Painting #2 is the final painting for this commission.

After several sketches of the place and the people, the final painting(s) have begun to take shape.

For the final painting(s), and knowing that the Bethunes are looking for a painting in the neighborhood of 576 square inches, I have decided on 24"x24", 20"x30", or 16"x36" for the format.  The current plan is to do the painting on gessoed hardboard in a mix of pen & ink, acrylic, and watercolor.

These thumbnail sketches are done to test composition, design, and color possibilities.  My prerequisite, for this scheme, is to show the wedding in relation to the Stanley Hotel and the mountains in the background.

Sketch Scheme #3.1 - 24"x24" format

Sketch Scheme #3.2 - 20"x30" format

Full size detail Sketch for Schemes #3.1 & #3.2

Sketch for Scheme 4 - 20"x30" format

Sketch for Scheme 5 - 16"x36" format

Painting #1 (Scheme 5), mixed media on gessoed panel, 16"x36"

Painting #2 (Scheme 4), mixed media on gessoed panel, 12"x20"