Keurners' farm

                             10x14

I thought I had to at least try painting the house.

This is unfinished, about 30-40 minutes of painting.

The greens feel chaotic to me. Standing in front of it I was trying to mix various greens... But now, stepping back, I think a more coherent approach would have been better.

Will definitely paint this again.

I want to devote winter 25-26 to painting the photos I've amassed from Scotland and Maine, and wherever else.

cardinal

My male cardinal. Not so overworked as my female ... But close!

Keurners' farm

 Charcoal sketch of the back of the barn

Derwent block sketch of the view behind the barn. I scraped and rubbed and used my fingers

Keurners' farm was as awe-inspiring as I expected it to be. Especially when I happened on this scene!

There were dozens of swallows in the barn.

I did the two sketches above on Bristol paper, then it started to rain and we went to the front porch, where I painted the three scenes below in my sketchbook.

The rain got heavier and heavier, eventually splashing us and our paintings--all my sketchbook pages got stuck together--forcing us to break for lunch: egg salad sandwiches and vinho verde.

When the rain let up we went out for one more go at it. We both painted a view looking up the driveway at the house.

But I'll have to post that tomorrow because I left it in Gina's car.

goldfinch

An oldish painting I put aside because I didn't like the flower. Added a stem and leaves, a few strokes on the flower ...

My last 2 Wyeth copies. Tomorrow is the day. I'm going to try to keep my eyes and mind open and not be anxious!

Untitled 1957, study for Brown Swiss, and my copy, below

Untitled, 1956, and my copy, below.

I really can't match the subtlety of Wyeth's values.

beach

                             7x11

A little beach scene painted along with a Chris Petri video on YouTube.

Found a little stack of 90lb Arches paper. I used to use it for the short poses when I took life drawing because it really can't take too much water ...

Good for quick sketches that you don't fiddle with though!

Wyeth copy

.                             8x8

Copy of a Wyeth painting made painting along with a Chris Petri video on YouTube.

I enjoy doing copies. I have been looking for Wyeth and JMW Turner videos to paint along with.

This is the Francisco de Asis church in Rancho de Taos made famous by Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings of it. In fact, her paintings are so famous, that you can't paint a picture of the church without it looking like a copy of an O'Keeffe!

I would love to get back to Chimayo and Taos to paint. It's been more than ten years, maybe as many as fifteen?, since I was last there!

lady Cardinal

                            10x12

Really overworked this. Humid and damp here ... The paper stayed wet and I kept dabbing at it.

But I do like the color.

I like my palette better than the painting.

sunset on the bay

                                8x10

Went out for the first paddle of the season and got a couple of nice photos.

Also managed two small Wyeth copies.

Those dots in the bottom sketch were made by sprinkling on a little Brusho, which is powdered paint. I'm not really familiar with it ... I got a couple of colors to experiment with. The powder bleeds a little and separates into different colors. Pretty cool.

marsh

                           11x15

Painted along with a Lois and Morgaine Davidson Art video on YouTube. I really enjoy Lois's videos, which often use wet in wet techniques, simplification, and a limited palette.

What more could you want?

This painting uses 3 colors: payne's gray, sepia, and burnt sienna.

I think some of my burnt sienna passages could have been toned down a bit. But I'll just leave it as it is. Though I may add more dark tones in the upper right.

maine

Started these 2 paintings, sketched from photos I took at Portland Head in ME.

Then I could find the photos!

Plunged ahead. The bottom one needs a little work yet.

And here's my daily Wyeth copy.

Have to be more aware of controlling the wetness.

twilight

Rode my bike to the bay at twilight. Brought my little sketching kit and forced myself to sit down and do a little sketching.

Didn't get far on the second one because the gnats were eating me alive.

Got a Bristol paper sketchbook today.

Started not with a copy of Wyeth but with  a sketch of the Keurners' farmhouse.

turner play

Messy limited-palette Turner-inspired play.

I did these quickly, wetly, and on mixed media paper, which accounts for all the blooms.

I like blooms, though perhaps not so many. And also, they're the incriminating evidence that I kept going back to the paper when I shouldn't have!

Used ivory black, Paynes gray, and burnt umber. Then added a little cerulean to each because I thought they needed it.

Really must work on getting a good dark dark on the first go.

iris

Dutch irises from my yard. I feel like they look like I'm trying to hard. 

And here's the daily practice: another untitled watercolor from the Wyeth exhibit Abstract Flash 

jmw turner copy

                              8x10

I make a lot of resolutions, all year long, especially in regard to painting ... But I never keep them. Maybe because I let myself off the hook so easily.

Making another, one I think I will keep: every day, from now to 5/16, do one Wyeth or Turner copy a day.

And maybe I should also try to add a Wyeth- or Turner-ish sketch of a scene close to home.

I mean, look at these skies! Last night and this morning.

London drawing group

                              12x14

I've been signing up for various classes with London Drawing Group--they get some interesting ideas.

(And the fee is a donation: pay what you can. An ethos I am happy to support.)

The classes I have taken to date have been a nice mix of looking at others' work and doing exercises.

This was still life painting, no drawing.

I don't think I quite followed the assignment ... But there you have it.

keurner farm prep

On May 16 from 9:30 to 2 pm painters will have access to Keurner farm in Chadds Ford, Pa., where Andrew Wyeth often painted. The Brandywine River Museum offers this opportunity every year, but this is the first year I can take advantage of it.

I'm going to need to pack a lot of sandwiches--painting makes me hungry.

But I want to prepare in other ways too.

I love looking at watercolor paintings-- you should see my Pinterest pages!

But of late it's Wyeth and Turner--will I ever get to Margate?--who have been breaking my heart with their mastery.

The subtlety of the color, the mark making: that's what I want to practice.

Plan is to copy watercolors from the Brandywine's show Abstract Flash: Unseen Andrew Wyeth.

I am lucky to have the catalog; it's impossible to get now, weirdly.

That show moved me like nothing else I can remember, except maybe a Cezanne exhibit. I stood in front of these  Wyeth "sketches"-- none are titled--and was dumbstruck.

I wish the catalog said what kind of paper he painted on. But I read elsewhere that he liked to paint on Bristol paper.

And that fits: the paper in the show was very smooth.

I tried to copy a couple, on CP, so I had to use a lot more water to move the paint. Going to have to get some Bristol, pronto.

It's a start.

I may make a Wyeth palette to bring, if I can figure out what he used ... It seems very limited.

These are my copies, though these are both ME not PA. PA copies are next with their luscious range of browns.

Wyeth's painting and my palette.

plein air 2

Gina and I went out Tuesday morning and made two stops, Old Wildwood Blvd West, above, and Old Wildwood Blvd East, below.

I am hoping to find a way to be be bolder and more expressive ... Going to take some time!