15. Walking in Dali’s Footsteps.
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by STEVEN KENNY
It’s not uncommon to see an artist standing at an easel in a museum busily painting a copy of one of the paintings on the wall. I’ve never done that myself. In fact, I’ve never tried copying another artist’s work…until this year. Salvador Dali’s work has had a huge influence on my own. So, since I’m a docent at the Dali Museum and see his work very often, I thought I’d choose one of his paintings and give it a try. To be honest, I vastly underestimated how difficult the process would be. The Dali Museum does not allow artists to paint in the galleries so I was forced to work from photographs which adds greatly to the difficulty. Nothing matches the experience of standing before an original.
![canvas back.jpg](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f2a240bebafb1aed2fd2d7/t/5a0dc6e724a694de8ecbe586/1510853833467/canvas+back.jpg)
I began by choosing stretcher bars that matched the dimensions of Dali’s original. Knowing that Dali often worked on factory primed canvas, that’s what I used too. It’s safe to assume that Dali used tacks instead of staples but I forgave myself that deviation.
![projection.jpg](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f2a240bebafb1aed2fd2d7/t/5a0dc7e7c830259646fe2be6/1510852590072/projection.jpg)
Rather than work freehand I projected Dali’s painting onto my blank canvas and traced the outlines. This saved an enormous amount of time and increased the accuracy of the composition.
![sketch b&w.jpg](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f2a240bebafb1aed2fd2d7/t/5a0dc86e8165f5dbfe771ff8/1510853885192/sketch+b%26w.jpg)
![imprimatura.jpg](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f2a240bebafb1aed2fd2d7/t/5a0dc89b4192020bbeca51b4/1510853915883/imprimatura.jpg)
I then applied an imprimatura which is a thin wash of gray paint that tones down the white of the canvas. Dali did this very often.
Below are photos taken at various stages.
![session #1.jpg](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f2a240bebafb1aed2fd2d7/t/5a0dc924e4966b3f637f90ad/1510852906921/session+%231.jpg)
![day 3 500.jpg](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f2a240bebafb1aed2fd2d7/t/5a0dc9a88165f5dbfe77744a/1510853037144/day+3+500.jpg)
![session 4 & 5.jpg](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f2a240bebafb1aed2fd2d7/t/5a0dc96df9619ae200ffe7ad/1510853975367/session+4+%26+5.jpg)
![session 6 500.jpg](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f2a240bebafb1aed2fd2d7/t/5a0dc9c853450ad28875a394/1510853069697/session+6+500.jpg)
![session 7 500.jpg](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f2a240bebafb1aed2fd2d7/t/5a0dc9e471c10b1001a38c18/1510853099805/session+7+500.jpg)
![session 8 500.jpg](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f2a240bebafb1aed2fd2d7/t/5a0dc9fc652dea60d6563966/1510853121604/session+8+500.jpg)
![session 9 500.jpg](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f2a240bebafb1aed2fd2d7/t/5a0dca520d9297e6bc9db12c/1510854051176/session+9+500.jpg)
![session 10 500.jpg](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f2a240bebafb1aed2fd2d7/t/5a0dcaa3ec212de097e1656c/1510853288021/session+10+500.jpg)
This is as far as of gotten. A project that I thought would take a few months has stretched to over a year! My hope is to be finished before the end of 2017. I also plan to make a replica of the antique frame that it has been in since the painting was purchased in 1943.
This has been an incredibly informative exercise. I could say volumes more about the painting process, my discoveries, insights into Dali’s mind, etc. but plan to gather all my thoughts at the conclusion. This could make for a very entertaining lecture which I hope to present at some point in 2018.
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