 |
| purchase here |
The warm day really cooled off as those clouds rolled in. A few sprinkles in that increasing wind gave me the nudge I needed to start packing up. This location is rather far from the car, and I've been caught in the rain here twice now! Rather than doing a pre sketch in ink before this painting, I did a small ATC size gouache pre-painting. It was fun!! And I really like having the mini painting as a guide through my process. Will I keep it up? Who knows? I just started with gouache yesterday - and this is definitely the honeymoon phase! Painting number 1890 in 1890 days.
I've been gazing at the clouds since I was very young. I love the movement, the way their forms change in fluid fashion. The colors are as countless as the clouds themselves, and such a challenge to capture with paint. On this one, I begin with an acrylic under painting that loosely renders the gradating sky plane and the land plane. When this is very dry, I use my oils with a dry brush method of applying the paint. I am using 1 inch and 3 inch bristle brushes to softly form the clouds. When the composition is in, and I'm happy with my shapes, I push and pull the paint, tweeking edges as necessary. This is such an effective way to paint clouds, and a fun shift from the bold palette knife work of yesterday! Painting number 1886 in 1886 days.
I love the unexpected beauty of inclement weather! Be it ice storm, blizzard or the colorful skies in the proximity of tornados, I am mesmerized by them! On our last ice day, I think I painted three paintings before stopping to eat! With each one, my emphasis is finding the colors in such a landscape. It's been years since we had ice, so I really have to get out there and explore it while I it lasts! The very next day, all it takes is a little sun, and the winter wonderland melts away! Painting number 1871 in 1871 days.
The sky lit up orange and red as the sun approached the horizon, and I'd been waiting all day for this sunset! There was not a cloud in the sky, but who needs them with this kind of color? I used an orange primed panel, which allows me to start quickly with all the darks. Speed is everything when capturing a sunset! Once those darks are marked, I start with the actual sky colors. What I start with is what I stay with, there is no chasing the light. Before the light is completely gone, I look for all those subtle color shifts in the masses. Often times, it is the little things that make all the difference. Painting number 1868 in 1868 days.
It was growing late in the afternoon before I had a chance to go paint. Another day at 60 degrees could not be wasted, so I grabbed my smallest Guerrilla box - my 5x7 thumb box, and hit the road. It was heavily overcast with a light drizzle, but still warm as I reached my destination. I love all the angles here - and especially how rich and dark green the water is in back. Dramatic. So, I started by painting my darks, and next with lights. The light is fleeting here in the woods this late, and I've found that if I don't get that color marked, it's gone with the sun in the blink of an eye! This was a quick paint, the clouds growing heavier as I worked. As I packed up and hiked to the car, the drizzle increased. Looks like I timed it just right. Painting number 1867 in 1867 days.
Starting my morning out with a leisurely cup of hot tea, I noticed how foggy the pasture was becoming. Rain was not expected until after noon, so said the local meteorologist. Pulling up radar on my phone, I could clearly see a large area of rain not far from me! Jumping into action, I first donned running gear for an outdoor run with my trusty companion, cooling down with my quick paint in the field. The run invigorates me - and really warms me up for the painting time to come in the cold and wet. Worked like a charm, but the rain was already beginning by the time I started. Well, I was plenty warm, so I forged ahead knowing I would have to stop if my panel got wet. When in the rain, I tilt it downward, which keeps the water off until I can get that surface covered with paint. Once covered, the oils paints repel the rain. Uncovered, the rain repels the oils, and I'd have to give up or start with a dry panel. The rain steadily increased, but I had plenty of time to get my painting finished before calling it quits. Two rain paints this week - and I loved it! Love capturing the mood of the day while standing in the midst of it - THIS is plein air! Painting number 1863 in 1863 days. Now for some hot tea, a warm blanket and watching the Olympics!
Dressed in layers, with a hot mug of tea at my side, I was toasty warm as I captured the icy landscape in oils! The subtle color changes in the frozen pasture were a study in grays! I first marked my scene with my brush - and realized I had not allowed my paints to thaw up in the house before heading out! My white, which is thick anyway, was hard to move even with my stiffer brush! I don't use mediums or turp, so with no way to thin the paint, I could only persist in the working of it, until it moved enough to fill the masses! It worked out, it just took me longer than usual. Now that I'm in the house, I see a couple of marks on that tree that should be tweeked. Sometimes, I am SO mesmerized with my surroundings on site - I miss those little things! What a gorgeous day! Painting number 1861 inn 1861 days.
Once the sun came out, it was very pleasant down by the water. Two of our grandsons were over for the day - so we went exploring (with my easel, of course)! Climbing trees, finding secret hideouts, squishing in mud and tossing sticks were the order of the day, and I painted right in the middle of it. As I took a quick video, I looked over just in time to see Alastair sinking in mud in his brand new shoes! Almost recorded it! Never a dull moment around here! Painting number 1854 in 1854 days.
Oh! I am having fun exploring the winter landscape in oils! The dark clouds dissipating from shades of plum, are striking against the sunkissed ochre in the tall grass. Yellow ochre, raw under and burnt umber are my friends in that grass today, with bits of sky color reflecting throughout for good measure. The barn is not the star here, just part of the hillside mass, a little eye candy for those who take a closer look. This is the quiet part of winter, full of changing light and temperatures, with foliage still in their winter slumber. There is SO much peace to be had in a quiet pasture! Now, if I could only get those Herefords to walk into my scene! They are playing "aloof" with me, and I've not caught them yet! Painting number 1849 in 1849 days.
This barn remains as "civilization" crowds in on three sides. This is the first time I've painted it from the back side. The distant color in the sky made this decision for me, as it was growing dark and moody behind me. Snow was expected, so I painted right after the gym - my easel always at the ready in the trunk. When I opened it up, I found my sediment filled safflower oil frozen! I use that to clean my brushes since I'm solvent free. Who knew this freezes at 16 degrees? It warmed up in my pocket, so I was able to clean my brushes before leaving. Painting number 1843 in 1843 days.
A beautiful, heavily overcast day for a landscape paint, the snow started falling while I was out. The wind is so still now, I hardly feel the cold. It has warmed up to 23 degrees! This is my maiden voyage with this new Guerrilla Painter 8x6 thumb box. I like this size! It is not a size I paint often, but really perfect for a cold day with a small painting window. I used the blueish underpainting for this, and it was certainly quieter on my eyes than the pumpkin shade. I like it for a seasonal change, the jury is out on whether I'll keep it around for the long haul. Only time will tell. I used a pale yellow for the early plein air years, this burnt orange tone for the last 8 or so years, but this is a change in temperature from warm to cool. That is different indeed. Painting number 1842 in 1842 days.
Few places are as peaceful as a pond for painting. Still waters, birds flying from tree to bank, and the gentle ripple of the surface keep me company as I work. The wildlife notices me not, so still I am as I capture the landscape. It is restorative to spend time alone, immersed in nature, one with the landscape as I lay down each brushstroke. Though my painting window is short, it is surely a little slice of heaven in the midst of a busy day. Painting number 1834 in 1834 days.
What a gorgeous day for painting in the snow! It felt like a heat wave (maybe 20 degrees) compared to the sub zero temps of yesterday! The long blue violet shadows drew me to this spot, the yummy cool and warm tones playing in the snow. I was not pressured by the cold at all today, so I could take my time to REALLY look at the colors. This time of year is always about growth and expressing my feelings of a moment in time with paint. Each stroke is truth, each passage a connection to the very place I stand. To reach for that truth each day is a blessing indeed. Painting number 1824 in 1824 days.
The light blanket of snow on the landscape is irresistible - even at these temps! Bundled up in my layers, with a wall to my back and standing in the sun, I made the best of a COLD situation. Painting fast is key, as are hand and toe warmers. I found myself blocking in masses, and then really studying the colors in those masses, marking them with paint as I worked. I used quite a bit of raw sienna, which I only seem to bring out this time of year. My palette needs to be scraped and refreshed, but there's no time for that today. A little at loose ends, my focus was off, so I just let my intuition take over, allowing the brush and knife to find their own way. It was hard to tell what I really had until I brought it in, the bright white of the snow playing games with my eyes. I hope to forge ahead tomorrow on another snowscape - and it is supposed to be warmer! Yay! Painting number 1823 in 1823 days.
Many times I have enjoyed hot cider and doughnuts here! Sometimes, my friends and I would gather for lunch - with grandbabies in tow! On the outskirts of town, it is picturesque with it's winding drive back to the mill. Here, I capture this place with ink and watercolor. I zoom in on the barn for this one (zooming out for the next). I paint from outside the gate as they are closed for the season. One of the biggest benefits of painting daily - I get faster as the months roll by. Faster at seeing what I want, faster at getting it sketched, and faster at laying that paint. It all becomes SO natural. Want to change your life? Change what you do daily. Painting number 1820 in 1820 days.
Gathering at my cousin Victor's farm for our Frank family Christmas, I had so much to choose from for my daily painting! Good food, good conversation and the hours rolled by. As the sun started to set, I could see this landscape from the dining room window. I knew I had to paint and grabbed my tiny clipboard. Within minutes I had finished this little slice of heaven. A small memory of a day well spent! Painting number 1807 in 1807 days.
