June 28, 2017

Taking the pressure off -- working on paper (updated)

I've been painting in Montana for a few days now and it's a humbling experience.  It's beautiful and the weather changes at a pace that makes me paint in a frenzy.  I've been working by the Gallatin River where a stream comes through the woods, working on canvas and trying to warm up to being outdoors painting again.

Today I decided to take some of the pressure off -- working on "multimedia artboard" instead of on stretched canvas.  It's a paper-like substance, very stiff and heavy, and purports to support oil paint.   It allowed me to work more quickly, both because it's small 8" x 10" and because I set myself up on my deck (yes, that's the hot tub cover I'm using as a table) in case a sudden rainstorm hit.  I managed to get two quick paintings done between rain showers today.




June 9, 2017

Color Change-Up

It's those same flowers again, but I changed the lighting and my palette to add intense color.  I did move the vases around again. And kept it loose.

I love thinking about the different ways these flowers and their shadows can be painted.   Today, as their edges were browning, the tinge of red led me to this.

Loose Flowers

I think these flowers only have another day or so in them -- a good reminder to me to keep the paint fresh and loose.

Yesterday's palette was used again in this painting, but I added just a bit of cerulean blue both into the grays to make them bluer and into the hydrangeas and reflections.

June 8, 2017

Roses, Hydrangeas, Alstromeria


Summer in Maine I like to paint flowers.  It's a respite from working on a landscape that is so rich and vast that it's a relief to focus on a small space.  I'll be in Maine this summer (and Montana -- another big landscape to contemplate) so I've been thinking about flowers again.

I had a few vases with roses, hydrangeas and alstroemeria so I brought them into the studio to paint.    I  set up a very limited palette to help keep my focus and keep the painting from being overworked.

After 2 hours, I was at this point and decided to stop.  I'm going to call this one done and start a new painting of the flowers another day.