created Gauguin-style painting, personalized w/my own lady

I thought I'd share an idea I tried, in case someone else wants to try it.
Instead of getting some framed Gauguin repros for the walls of our tiki-theme houseboat, I decided to try and make my own, with a twist. I inserted a cropped photo of my wife into a Gauguin painting (JPEG format), using Corel PhotoPaint and Adobe Photoshop to make it look like part of the original. I sized them for 8"x10" frames.
For me, it's more, uh, interesting to hang these up than the true reproductions. I have my own woman as a Gauguin-style, faux-Polynesian pin-up, (with 'fine art appreciation' as an alibi), and my wife appreciates that it's her I'm oogling. And since it resembles a famous painting, and I've taken off a few years in the process, she's not so embarrassed that someone might catch a glimpse, like she would be about a photograph. (I've blurred her face and 'censored' a bit for privacy, anyway, but you get the idea).
So, what do you think? Good idea, or shameless meddling with great art? And, most important,... is it TIKI?

Compared with the originals:

EA HAERE IA OE

THE BATHERS

[ Edited by: Limbo Lizard 2007-01-09 09:11 ]

LL, that's a nice way to compliment your lady and so much more fun than a generic Gauguin print of which there are thousands. Nice work.

ST

1 note, u accidentally reversed the light logic on the bottom piece with respect to your wahine.

St

Hey, nice pair of Gauguins!

Thanks, Sneakytiki, for the compliment and critique. You're probably right about the light direction, now that I scrutinize it more. I remember puzzling over it, and finally just deciding the tree would cause a shadow, since I had her closer to it and a little more forward than the original woman.
I worked for a while on a third picture, based on 'Two Tahitian Women', but I'm not satisfied with it - I think lighting is the main trouble, there, too. I need to start again with a new picture, and pay more attention to the lighting.
I started all this as a lark, just playing around with a few quickly posed shots - I only took a few because she was impatient to get dressed for work. When it started to look like I had something, I became rather absorbed, learning more about Photoshop as I went along. Now that I have a little more knowledge and experience, I may start over with new, better posed photos. She'll put more effort into getting the shot right, too, now that she likes the results. But first, I've started a tiki carving that I want to finish before I go back and redo any of these.

[ Edited by: Limbo Lizard 2006-11-14 20:13 ]

Limbo, very beautiful! maybe you can also post a pick of the tiki houseboat, that sounds cool too :)

Amy

LL, I wouldn't redo the top picture there, or should I say the topless picture, it's really good!

ST

so cool! i love it

Shame on me, I don't have a more recent picture that shows the whole boat. But here are some pics from May, 2005, as we parade through the marina for the very windy 'Blessing of the Fleet' ceremony (we won the "Best Theme" trophy).
The vinyl bamboo sheet is now gone from the side, and there are more lights and a lighted "palm tree" on the upper deck. I'm (slowly) working on carving a series of flat mask-style tiki figures to affix to the outside of the cane fence on the upper deck.
The interior is a clutter of the "Gauguin" prints and other theme art, some displayed mugs, tiki figurines, miniture palm trees, bongos, rum bottles, nautical bric-a-brac, etc. I plan to re-do the plain white curtains with a tropical foliage print, when I find the right look and price combination. Lots of windows - it'll probably require 60 to 70 yards of fabric! (And lots of sewing by my already-busy wife.)
To get it to match my dream image will be a long drawn-out project , run on "Hawaiian Time" and further slowed by Mai Tai consumption. But meanwhile, we enjoy the heck out of having a floating getaway right in the city.
36' Gibson houseboat, 'The Leaky Tiki'

Hey LL!

Even though it's going to be likely in January or February, you should have a little Texas Tiki Central party on that fab boat the weekend of the Dallas Trader Vic's Grand Re-Opening! I'm sure we would all LOVE to see it!

Really nice idea with the personalized Gaugains, too. REALLY neat!
F

Good idea, if they don't postpone the re-opening yet again! You know, my friend and I took our dates to the Dallas TV's for dinner, before the prom, back in '77. It'll be nice to see it make a come-back, though I feel a little anxiety about what 'improvements' they might have made. Oh well, we take what we can get, right?
I'll watch and decide about a boat/marina party when it gets close. I can make plans, but it'll probably have to be a last minute decision on whether it's a go/no go - Texas weather being what it is. February - could be calm, sunny and 68 degrees, or 20 with howling winds and waves... or sleet!