First of 30 paintings in 30 days

Took me a while to get going today. I have been doing some pen and ink and watercolor studies in my art journal so decided when I am short on time will do the pen and ink studies. That is better than no painting at all. I thought I would attempt the 30 paintings in 30 days and that would get me working. 

I did finish a 16x20 oil commission for a retiring Board Member as a gift .

I was happy with this painting and I believe everyone else was also. It did take me a while and I have done no other paintings except watercolor sketches in my art journal.

I did get two paintings juried into the Springfield Museum's Ohio Plein Air Society Show PARKS IN PLEIN AIR. We are guaranteed one painting but I got two in so I am thrilled.

Rutherford B. Hayes Center , Summer Blooms, 10x8 oil and Malabar Farm State Park 8x10 oil

My process is to make a small black and white sketch about 2x4 inches. You can see the design easily that way. Then I block in the big masses with  color similar to the final color. Many times I may prepare my canvas with a transparent red oxide or alizarin crimson , especially if there is a lot of green in the painting.  If the painting is very detailed I will put a pencil drawing before the prep color. Otherwise I will put the drawing on with a pastel pencil. Once the masses are filled in with thin paint it is time to start building the color, dark to light. It is very tempting to put the details in but they must wait to be able to stand out. After the painting is dry I will spray with retouch varnish. I usually try to  photograph the painting before the spray to eliminate glare. I photo on a sunny day in the shade of my porch. You can always use a white sheet over a chair with the painting on the seat and you get under the sheet and photograph. Then I frame and add my business card and information about the painting on the back of the painting. Any questions, you can email me at jwalton15@neo.rr.com.

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The latest Plein Air paintings, new colors, new challenges

I am still working three days a week and it is so difficult to find time to paint, let alone time to write my blog. I have been trying to sketch with a Sharpie ultra fine marker everyday. On Saturday the ninth I did an 12x16 pastel with Johannes in a paintalong. I do wish I would have done it in oils but I learned a lot. I did use the PanPastels to start the block in. It is very challenging to paint a forest of pine trees and make each one different. Each side different on each tree, each tree a different color, Each tree on a different plane, no triangular trees. My poor deer....I could not get his face bright enough. If I was going to paint pastels much I would buy some sticks for making finer lines. The pastel pencils just don't do it. I used sanded paper. This is a painting that will never get framed.

Then Thursday I got to paint with my artist friends at Kingwood. The summer blooms are just starting and I chose the fountain view. I painted to the left of the Terrace so the large pot sits off to the side to make a better composition. I used a toned canvas and was happy that some of that showed through the painting and I wiped out the lights.It was very humid and my canvas was still moist with the Gamsol. I then put in my darks with Greenish Umber (my favorite dark) It is great for trees, especially evergreens.Black with variations of yellow make wonderful greens. The light changes so fast. I took a photo and made a black and white sketch where I saw the light in the beginning. I have learned to do that to keep my light consistent. The scene is completely changed by the time I finished.

Then the next Thursday we all went to the Bellville Park and I painted the little waterfall. It was a spillway . I am experimenting with some new colors, inspired by Dreama Tolle Perry. I love her paintings and colors. Depending on the price, I would like to take her online course in the Fall. So this was the first time I brightened up my work with her palette. This was also a challenge as it had rained and it was cloudy so I had to imagine the sun. I really had to work on my rocks to make them believable , so make them recede, and then to do the water so it did not fall evenly. It actually ran down a flat slab but that was boring and made straight lines, so had to change the way it fell.

Saturday we artists drove to Fremont to the Rutherford B Hayes Center for a paintout with the Ohio Plein Air Society for the Hayes 100th Anniversary. It was a three day event but we could only go for one. It was a beautiful day at a  beautiful place. There was lots of shade and most everyone was painting the house. I wanted to use my new bright palette so I found a spot with a vase of flowers. Again the light was there in the beginning and at the end but I did my black and white sketch and took photos.The painting looked too dark probably from painting in the shade and looking at the light. The eyes change things so I did brighted things up.  I have been toning my canvas with either Transparent Red Oxide or Transparent Brown Oxide or Transparent Orange Oxide. Again I wiped out the lights and used the Greenish Umber for the darks, blocked in all the puzzle pieces and left the flowers for last. I varigated the steps broke up the lines with sunlight ar skylight, broke up the stone lines with bush branches, enlarged the flower area and exxagerated the colors. I did have to glaze the further post to set it back. So I broke up straight lines, varigated colors, created depth, made the four corners different, eliminated clones, kept the no fly zone around the edges soft and muted and varied my edges. Rules! Thanks to Johannes Vloothaus. I feel good about my new palette, lots of colors right now and will probably eliminate some after experimenting.

I can see my paintings are starting to look like I want, more exciting color, more impressionistic brushwork.

I also purchased some new books on Amazon... Daily Painting by Carol Marine about painting small and often to become a more creative, productive and successful Artist, Art Before Breakfast, a zillion ways to be more creative no matter how busy you are, and Shut Your Monkey, how to control your Inner Critic and Get More done. I am slowly working my way through these. So more sketching daily, more small paintings. I did buy some 6x6 canvas boards. I also painted a birthday painting for my Great Granddaughter. So now, I need to paint daily and start a commission .

I have started the commission but the daily painting just is not getting done. I have taken a lot of photos from Kingwood and my flowers at home. My  grandson put in about 10 feet of Hostas he dug from his home , and I brought some free plants and put in half of them last night. Worked today and it was terribly hot. 92 in that ticket booth and then I went to my great granddaughter's for the end of her 1st birthday party.

#waterfall,#oilpainting,#Pastels,#Kingwoodcentergardens,#RutherfordBHayescenter,
#Ohiopleinairsociety

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Oil and Watercolor paintings and Plein Air for the week

This painting was done after a workshop with Johannes Vloothaus on Landscape symbols. I used a photograph from Kingwood and completely designed the tree, made an entry path and and varigated the foilage. I changed the sky to a more atmospheric element and created depth.
Photographing the painting was very difficult. No matter where I put it, outside in the shade, inside with blue light, warm light, I just could not get the color right. I am not proficient enough in Photoshop to get the changes. I think I may download "Gimp" and see if it is easier. I do use Photoshop for cropping if it has not been done on my camera or phone.
This was my first week to work only 3 days so I should be more productive. I did paint at Kingwood Center Gardens this morning but need to photograph it. I will get my camera and see if I can get better color on this painting and the new one.
I have finished the yard, and garden, potted some herbs and flowers.

Well, The tree did not photo any better, in fact it is worse. The color in the foreground is definitely purple and I cannot get it to photograph that color. Frustrating.
The second painting, the path was done plein air at Kingwood Center Gardens. I do like my trees and think I am better at trees since the Johannes workshop on Landscape Symbols.
Yesterday I pulled the watercolor I had started and finished it. Very overworked. Not what I want in a watercolor. I want transparent washes, bright colors and somewhat abstract so need to practice, practice, practice!

This was my first plein air painting done about a month ago. I loved the view and I had to work quickly as I had to leave to go to work. I now don't have to work Thursdays so I can paint with my plein air group every week.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate any comments and sign ups for my blog.

#paintingtrees,#plein air,# KingwoodCenterGardens,#landscape painting.