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"I think you can see that the paint is quite thick on this painting. That is because I used the painting knife quite liberally. The main purpose is to get the right color in the right place immediately. Afterwards I soften the area with a paint brush. This is especially so in the face. Hair and clothing use less brushwork so the surface is much rougher and textural. The background is painted entirely with the knife. Here I introduced colors from the figure adding warm or cool colors depending upon the effect I want. Since I wanted to warm the feeling of the portrait I added burnt sienna and combined it with a little cobalt blue." A.B.
It was Ariane's husband, Bill McHale, who introduced his wife to the concept of painting with a palette knife (or painting knife). He learned the technique while a student at The Chicago Art Institute. Ariane became famous for her exquisite use of this unusual painting style. N.M.S.