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Delia Gable

@observer_delia

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followers

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American figurative artist, NYC->PNW, making spirited realist pictures of people and things. Obsessed with the human body and all its secret stories.

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#tbthursday to autumn memories with a favorite old painting, "Erin in the Fall." My friend Erin and I walked through Central Park talking in the twilight, until we found an isolated stand of trees where she buried herself in masses of wet leaves for me. I wish I could do a sequel with her in the PNW! #oilpainting #portraitpainting #nyc by @observer_delia

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a year ago

An hour of painting, condensed into 34 seconds! I have been unusually happy with the progress of this painting, my only wish is that I could sustainably work on it every day (while magical beings handle all the rest of life's many details).

#oilpainting #workinprogress #portraitpainting #contemporaryrealism #figurativeartist by @observer_delia

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0

a month ago

"Heat." 8.25 in x 11 in. Graphite and carbon pencil on paper.

It's so hot out! I hate to have to conceal some lovingly rendered details for posting here, but unfortunately this is where we're at right now.

#imaginaryportrait #figurativedrawing #drawing #figurativeartist by @observer_delia

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2 months ago

Studio day - archival mounting! This particular piece is tantalizingly close to done, just a few nagging details to resolve. You can also see my unhelpful "assistant" stopping by to lend a paw 😂

#oilpainting #contemporaryart #figurativepainting #studioday by @observer_delia

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3 months ago

I had been really enjoying building up this painting and then suddenly I overpainted it. It happened so fast! And what I'd liked most was suddenly gone.

Instead of immediately starting something new and moving forward, I let it crush me for a while. Somebody told me, "You don't have to be on your A game every week" and since that feels like a lot of weeks, I'm just trying to remember to keep on trying.

#oilpainting #chronicillness #setbacks by @observer_delia

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4 months ago

Tune In, 8 in. x 10 in., oil on oil paper panel.

I'm still obsessed with viridian as an underpainting color. I love the way it quietly and persistently bleeds through like a glowing ghost, and how the viridian ghost interacts with other colors and with time itself.

I started this when it was cold outside and today the sun is shining. The last frame is the woman lit up by the sun. The brightness feels like hope.

#oilpainting #contemporaryart #imaginaryportrait #figurativepainting #tunein by @observer_delia

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5 months ago

Tilt, 8 in x 10 in, oil paint on oil paper.

Despite the ups and downs of my current life, the fact that I can paint again makes everything brighter and better after such a long devastating drought. Even when I'm not feeling well, I can sit with the pochade box and just start something and it doesn't have to be "perfect," or I can try out something new in my sketchbook without paralysis. It makes all the hard stuff and tough years worth it for what's happening now.

#oilpainting #smallpaintings #chronicillness #grief by @observer_delia

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5 months ago

Old sketches on paper found in a box! First one is finetipped ink pen, second one is graphite (F lead). Both are probably from right before the pandemic.

#drawing #pencildrawing #inkdrawing #imaginaryportrait by @observer_delia

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6 months ago

Work in progress!

I'm excited to return to working on this after some thinking time away. I'm so impatient to finish it already but that's just not how it works for me. Maybe some of you feel that way too?

#oilpainting #contemporaryrealism #figurativeartist #contemporaryfigurativeart by @observer_delia

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6 months ago

Equinox, Carbon pencil on 6" x 8" 350 lb paper.

I had a period where I drew small pictures. It's fun to dip back into that scale change and get up close and personal, especially when I don't have the stamina to sit at the easel.

#drawing #pencildrawing #fıgurativeart #smallworks #contemporaryfigurativeart by @observer_delia

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7 months ago

Etesian, @conteaparisofficiel black and white conté pencils on 5.5" x 8" toned gray paper.

I've always loved creating imaginary portraits, not just a story but a the idea of a person living that story in a moment of time. I think it comes from growing up as a really early reader and immersing myself in the fictional worlds of other people's lives and adventures.

#drawing #pencildrawing #imaginaryportrait #contemporaryfigurativeart #facedrawing by @observer_delia

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3

7 months ago

Joan of Arc, oil painting on 8" x 10" oil paper.

I watched "Gerhard Richter Painting" recently and was mesmerized by his use of specialty squeegee tools in his paintings (slides 4-5). The process looked so transportive, with so much potential for discovery and surprise. So when I found this pair of highly flexible German stainless steel "surface knives" (slide 3) I had to snatch them up for my own discovery process. I've been dying to try out some new colors too, including the candylike Montserrat orange from @goldenpaints and a rich purple ochre from @rublevcolours (slide 2, bottom left and middle right respectively). Very pleased!

#contemporaryrealism #oilpainting #smallpaintings #pochade #gerhardrichter by @observer_delia

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7 months ago