Milk Barn - watercolor journal

All those chores left undone yesterday, had to be tended to today.  With no daylight left, I am sketching late in my special watercolor journal.  Once the pen and ink is finished, I try out my newest Watercolor Confections pan set of "Decadent Pies"!  This selection has the perfect color palette for this time of year.  Well suited they are for the winter landscape.  I was especially surprised by the wonderful shade of the dark blue - very nice for the shadow work, and a good complement for the warm yellows.  I really do love using this ink and watercolor combination for architecture. Perhaps tomorrow, I'll be adding some ice to my painting!  Painting number 1463 in 1463 days :)

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Snow at the Milk Barn

Well, I had a little trouble with this one.  I started late, already in the golden hour.  I didn't load my palette, as I have been keeping it in the car, so I was out of the tiny bit of viridian, and black (which I use to mix greens). When it came to making a good, strong dark, all I had was ultramarine blue, permanent crimson, Indian yellow and white.  As you can probably guess, getting a strong shadow color out of this was a challenge!  Challenge aside, I do really like the color harmony achieved by using so few hues. As I finished this one up, the setting sun in the west was calling my name......!  Painting number 1459 in 1459 days :)

oil on panel, 10x8
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First Snow at the Milk Barn

The sun is shimmering on the snow this afternoon, and I have waited until the warmest time of this day to paint!  Mind you, that is only 17 degrees, but it beats the 1 degree I woke up to!   My grandmother used to milk her cows here every morning and night for many years, and now I paint here.  I love this place, and I've always loved this place, I wrote about it in my diary as a child.  I am using Williamsburg oils with this easel, and they are still smooth and creamy at 17 degrees.  I use no solvents, only safflower oil to clean my brushes, so this is am important fact for me.  I wonder how cold it can get before they start to show it!   love my Gamblins, but they really start to tack up under 25 degrees.  Who knew this would ever be important to me?  Sane artists don't paint in weather like this!  Painting number 1457 in 1457 days :)

Oil on panel, 7x5
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Milk Barn in Autumn

Milk Barn in Autumn
Oil on panel, 12x6
"Looking Out My Front Door" Contest

While trying to decide what to paint today, an artist friend of mine posted an online contest challenge - "Looking Out My Front Door".  The main rule is the view must be from within 50 feet of the front door, anything visible from there.  I have been wanting to paint the milk barn with the fall foliage, so that is my first view.  There are two others that were amazing today with the heavily overcast sky and red pin oaks in the foreground - so I may well do them tomorrow.  This is the first day in a week that I could actually have a little quiet time - where I could be the boss of my time, no other commitments until 3:45.....and then I was constantly on the road as the "taxi driver" until just now.  I sure need to get some more panels ready - maybe I can get those done by the weekend.....painting number 304 in 304 days.  The leaves are dropping quickly now, I hope I can capture all of their beauty before they all hit the ground!