Summer Dreaming

Summer Dreaming
Acrylic on masonite, 6x6
purchase here

Oh, how I love the warm days of summer!  Give me the heat any day of the week - but you can keep that cold weather up north, where it belongs!  Today, I am painting little Michael, as he drifted in the pool in one of his favorite tubes.  I considered changing the color of that tube, to enhance the painting - but decided against it.  I wanted the challenge of using the blues of water and tube together, and the cool blue is so soothing.  I am enjoying this month of painting portraits SO much!  It has allowed me to really focus on the colors of the planes, and on the reflective light that gives the face form.  Probably the most valuable habit I have adopted this month is the 10 minute color study at the very beginning of painting.  It has replaced the line drawing completely, and I think it has really strengthened my accuracy.  Painting number 1052 in 1052 days.

photo reference

color study

Waterfall in the Woods

I thought I was done here....but a photo taken at night is not true

Waterfall in the Woods - final
Oil over acrylic on masonite, 16x20
purchase here

I dreamed of painting this waterfall three nights ago - and this is the very first chance I got to actually put paint to panel!  Working large, I started my block in acrylic.  Starting and stopping repeatedly for various household responsibilities, I lost my focus - and then I became frustrated with the progress (in progress photo).  Then, I moved down to the kitchen to paint, switching workspaces completely - and I stepped away for awhile. Starting this time in oils, I began pulling this painting in the direction I wanted it to go. What a struggle this painting has been - and tomorrow, I have a very full day.  I guess they can't all just fall off the brush - perhaps I should have just gotten up in the middle of the night and painted it when I dreamed it!  I will look upon it with fresh eyes in the morning, as I already see things I want to change.  Painting number 924 in 924 days.  With a new day - I see a few additions, adding shadow back into the right side, reds popped in to bring the foreground closer, and look what s difference a daytime photo makes to the color!  NOW, I am happy with this :)

in progress

The Orange Ring

The Orange Ring
Oil on panel, 10x8

As the summer days heat up, we find ourselves often in the pool.  This painting is of my youngest son, Michael, just hanging out in the water.  I painted this from photo reference I took a few summers ago.  This little darling is now 13 years old and 5'11".  My neighbor at the paint-in on Tuesday, shared his palette with me.  He uses a paper palette, and rather than throw his oils away, I scraped them onto mine.  The turquoise is a new shade for me - and perfect for this pool painting!  The oils were also of a soft texture - where mine are not.  It was fun to play around with them.  This is painting number 196 in as many days.