wip: grassy sound

11x15

Started another painting of some little houses along the back bays here.

I made a tactical error right off the bat, painting the shady side (the light is coming form the right) of the buildings too early; they're too gray, maybe too dark, and maybe confusing. If I had waited till later, I think they'd be more integrated.  But I'm going to keep going because 1) maybe I'll come up with a "fix"; or 2) maybe it won't be so noticeable when the painting is done.

plein air: loosening up

 7x10

I forgot all about my plein air class last week! But I made it this week, if a little late.

I set up and started drawing Burcham's farmhouse. 

I was about to start painting when I turned around and looked behind me: there was a tractor path in the grass, hazy trees in the distance, and barn swallows flying everywhere.

I decided to try something I've heard about from several people lately--do a little warmup painting.

It started out so well ... I was trying to think of John Singer Sargent, of his brushwork and color choices--I just added one of his favorite colors, viridian, to my palette, and there's a touch of it here; but I didn't get his values or composition. May try to tweak it and paint it again.

Still have to add the swallows, but I need to do a little research first.

 

11x15

By the way, the warming up did help, I think. It was getting dark so I didn't have much time, but I did put in washes for the sky and distant trees and I think they came out very fresh and unfussy.

I'll post a photo next time--too dark for photos now!

richardson's creek

 14x18

It's weird but this scene has even more hard edges than the previous one, which I thought didn't work for that reason, but I like this one ... 

I took more time with this one, working on it in three sittings. Maybe that was a help, forcing me to evaluate as I went.

too too

11x14

Every day is not a winner, as my mother used to say. I like some things about this painting--the grasses, the muddy shoreline and it's reflection in the shallow water. But there's a stiffness to it--too many hard edges?--that makes me call it a miss. worth trying again, wetter and looser next time!

 Another couple of abandoned paintings below ... same problem as the one above, I think: despite a nice passage here and there, too ... too something!

7.5x11 each

plein air: view from 93rd Street, Stone Harbor

11x15

The South Jersey Plein Air painters met at the Stone Harbor Yacht Club and though I had work to do, I went, because I thought, "Boats!"

But when I got there, I opted for this scene across the intracoastal.

plein air: schellenger's lane

11x15

I joined a plein air painting group and when I met them at the Cape May Harbor I was not sure what to paint. Settled on these work boats. I couldn't see them very well--they were far away and backlit, so I thought that would be the challenge: painting something I could barely see with enough detail to make it recognizable.

After I got home, I darkened the lower left a bit because I thought it didn't register as water. Also, I got some advice to that effect--to darken the water or to crop the bottom; both good suggestions--from a Facebook group I recently joined, The Accidental Watercolorist.

The first painting I put on the page was the one below. I like the subject so much, and was pretty happy with the blue-grays, but I was just dissatisfied and couldn't put my finger on what was wrong. I posted it to The Accidental Watercolorist and gota lot of 1) encouragement and 2) good practical advice--about color, atmospheric perspective, etc.--that I will definitely follow when I re-do this one!

8x10

plein air: first avenue, cape may

11x15

I had intended to paint just the brown house and the dune grasses; I was going to put the ocean in the background ... But once I started drawing my plan was forgotten.

I like this scene very much and think it could benefit from a little more editing, so I'll probably paint it again before the summer's out.

Happy Fourth of July!

plein air: burcham's farm

11x14

My second week painting at Burcham's farm. This is the rear view of the farmhouse, which sits atop a hill. Next week I hope to do the front view...

I painted this on location--being intermittently bit by flies!--but I held off on the shadows until the next day, at home. I masked the tree trunk with tape so I could paint the shadow freely and sweepingly.

I had taken a picture that has a painter sitting by the tree and wanted to include her, but I couldn't find the photo!

bike ride painting

5x7

It's been hot and humid here; not great bike riding weather, but I did get a short ride, and a quick painting.

brandywine light

5x7

Brandywine Shoal Light, a favorite subject of mine. 

I drew four lighthouses in the Delaware Bay--two one the Jersey side, this one and Miah Muall, and two on the Delaware side, by Cape Henlopen: the Breakwater Lighthouse and the beautifully named Harbor of Refuge Light. Thought they'd make a nice set for my upcoming art show.

I propped up the drawing so I could look them over for about 24 hours before I started painting; they looked okay to me.

The wonkiness always becomes apparent after painting!

I think I am going to have to work on how I draw lighthouses.

Last Sunday I took a plein air class on the beach in Cape May with Joe Milligan. Joe had the very good idea to have a class from 7:30-10 a.m., 10 a.m. being when the parking meters go on and the beach tag inspectors begin their rounds! Although Cape May was so pleasant I am going to buy a beach tag! (I usually go to the free beaches in the Wildwoods.)

Joe had a great lesson planned; we painted a scene he had painted previously. 

I normally paint skies pretty simply, and all prima--all in one go, but after class Sunday, I think my skies are going to get more interesting!

11x14

poverty beach

 10x14

Expanded the view a bit on the plein air painting from yesterday.

plein air: poverty beach

8x8

A little early morning plein air painting with my friends Diane and Karoline; the three of us will be exhibiting our plein air paintings in mid-August.

We went to Poverty Beach, at the northern end of Cape May, a beach with lovely dunes and rough surf!

Diane and Karoline has both just gotten back from painting trips, to France and Tilghman Island, respectively, so we had a lot to talk about ... and also managed to get in a good hour or so of painting.

Once again my main shrub, a bayberry that had a wonky northward-leaning shape, came out looking like a Christmas tree. Really need to pay more attention!

biker

10x10

I took a photo of this young woman leaving the beach last summer. (For once, I didn't get caught!) There was a bike rack and several more bikes, which I left out. 

The underbrush was so dark, that's what made the image appeal to me ...  but I think it needs to be darker yet, and less "green." Floating in more intense color on prewet paper may help me get the effect I'm envisioning. There's still too much anxiety in my attempt to hold on to edges: My ideal watercolor looks like it just happened!

I did kind of manage the effect I want in the spokes on the bikes: I didn't mask, just painted quickly and loosely, and didn't try to adjust or correct.

cape may point dune

 10x8

My plein air class decided to meet indoors yesterday afternoon because the forecast called for thunderstorms, so I decided to stay home and finish this.

Still working on finding my way with the dune grasses and fences--though this is the best fence I've done to date! I feel I have a way to go with the grasses; while these aren't bad, I want to find a balance between making each clump discrete and letting them run together more, letting color or value, rather than shape, delineate them.

plein air: burcham's farm

 8x8

I signed up for a six-week plein air class that meets Tuesday afternoons at Burcham's Farm, about half hour north of me, on the Maurice River. It's a beautiful property, lots of green, though so it'll be a little challenging for me.

The instructor paints in gouache and the other students are oil painters.

I started with the 8x8 above to try to reduce the overwhelming to something manageable!

I took just a little piece and tried to just concentrate on values. 

Prior to class tomorrow I hope to study a few watercolors by Edward Hopper, who had such a lovely, unfussy way of painting grasses!

 10x14

plein air: harbor lane (2)

 11x15

We, and our paintings, got rained on a bit, but we kept on painting. In my case, the raindrops added texture to the rusting hull of the Alexandra L.

In Bill's case the rain dappled the light in his sky! Bill always paints on a full sheet; while I usually use quarter sheets--or smaller. I usually finish or even overwork my paintings; he takes his home to finish later. (You can see Bill's paintings here.)

 William Yerkes, 22x30

8x11

A little painting of the muddy low tide shore that I started to keep myself from picking at my boat painting.

plein air: harbor lane

 (detail)

Above I cropped out the part of the painting that I didn't like (and so didn't finish): the red boat really got away from me ... made a couple of bad decisions, which is okay, especially when painting on location, where I never expect to come away with a painting I like; it's more about the experience, and hopefully finding a subject I might revisit.

 unfinished 8x11

I revisited this subject the very next day, on location again ... Still not entirely happy. 

Next time: 1) nothing on the horizon and 2) no black rigging! I initially liked the black rigging because I wouldn't have to do more negative painting, but it just looks flat and messy to me. Maybe a midtone gray next time.

11x15

plein air:spicer's creek

 11x15

My painting friend Bill Yerkes is in town for a few days (you can see his paintings here).

We spent a few hours at Spircer's Creek, where we painted last fall too. A good spot: plenty of parking, which is an important consideration in Cape May.

I was surprised when I got home how grayed down my greens are in these two paintings--they really looked a lot brighter while I was painting!

 

8x11

bike ride sketches

 4x6

More little tries at beach grass and brush. I like the analogous colors.

Hoping that--even though I won't be spending 10,000 hours on them--a steady practice of trying to render beach grass will lead me to a way that satisfies me.

5x7

Below are two paintings I did on location about ten years ago in a workshop with Charles Reid when he came to Cape May. (The very next week I had a workshop in DE with Ted Nuttall--a good two weeks!)
Of course, I had all his books and a few of his videos.
I loved watching him draw; it was like you were watching his mind work, and I guess you were.
It's remarkable to see all the artists across so many different platforms paying tribute to him. He really changed the game.

st mary's by the sea

 11x14

Finished. Although, as I often do, I see I neglected to go out to the edge on the roof ... I'll fix that later! And maybe try to vary the wash on the roof  a bit; it's too same same. 

Below is a photo of the painting when I first thought it was done, then I noticed the three dark tree shapes--all evenly spaced! Not good. So I added a few small darks to connect them a bit; I think it's an improvement.

rough drafts

 5x7

Beginning to think about what I might paint for the little group shows I'll be in this August; thinking of subjects that might appeal to people at the shore.

These are both from photos I took, and I'm going to call these my rough drafts.

5x7