clouds

a little cloud practice

preparing

My friend Robin and I are hoping to do a lot of plein air painting when we go to Scotland next month.

To prepare I'm planning to paint along with more Paul George videos on YouTube, and to work through lessons I've purchased from Paul Talbot Greaves and Shari Blaukopf.

The painting above I made painting along with Shari's Winter Woods and Stream class.

Shari's a great painter and teacher, and her pre-recorded classes are well-thought-out, very instructive, and a good price. Kaboom!

A couple of years ago I was signed up for an in person class with Shari in Fort Myers, FL, but a hurricane came and devastated the area, which is still building back!

I hope I'll get another opportunity to paint with Shari live!

sketch & colors

                               6x8

A tight little waterfall study for a class with SaltyWaterArt. 

Class was canceled so I began looking into what colors to put in my travel palette for Scotland.

I am very undecided on the reds-- they're all so beautiful! Pyrrol scarlet and quinacridone red/coral especially!

Think I must have quinacridone pink.

I have been looking for a cool green and Hooker's, which I haven't had on my palette in a long time, is it.

Also got two new greens, DS green apatite and Schmincke shire green: both granulate and separate into their component colors--which i love...but there may not be room.

Yellow has become a crisis. Since I began painting I have relied on two yellows: aureolin, which I now find out is fugitive, and new gamboge, which is now a mixture rather than a single pigment (not ideal, but I'll probably stick with it). I never felt a need to deviate from those two. 

Everyone seems to be using hansa now, but I'm not keen on it. Will probably go for the weaker, but soft Winsor yellow and the intense Maineri Blu transparent yellow.

And I must have quinacridone gold, Mars yellow (a to me slightly brighter ocher), and maybe Naples or Turner's yellow.

I welcome your thoughts on colors!

Lately I feel displeased with my cobalt, which is Winsor & Newton; it looks a little grayish to me. Which brand's cobalt blue do you like?

unfinished

                            8x10

.                          10x12

Started two paintings today. Can't seem to push through to finish. May revisit tomorrow.

sketch

                            10x10

Another attempt to paint along with a Paul George YouTube video.

The sky could really use more darks but when I get a color I like, it's hard to go back in and potentially ruin it!

I'd refine the rocks but the paint is super wet. instead I'll do another.

Found 3 pans of watercolor in a drawer: one was uponed, it's called Paris blue. The others were a warm yellow and a warm red. Dabbed each on a piece of paper: what lovely mixes.

sketch

                                                                        8x10

Painting along with a Paul George YouTube video. His videos are really wonderful. This was my second attempt to follow along ... It didn't turn out the way it was supposed to, but I'm okay with. It was fun to do and I'll try again another day.

Another quick attempt at this one.

What I like about these is there's virtually no drawing ... Just put down the paint!

birds

A Lapland longspur-- a beautiful bird I've never seen; it's range is from Texas. Up through the middle of America, and across Canada to Alaska.

A beautiful bird I see, and hear, frequently in winter, the white-throated sparrow.

Below: An unfinished green-violet swallow.

Friday still life

Practicing pansies.

And below, first attempt in a class I'm taking on going from a subject in nature, here a branch of magnolia, into abstraction... It's hard to keep going: I just don't know what to do or add... But I guess it doesn'tatter: the idea is, I think, to be freed from representation and have fun.

classwork

                             6x10

I joined SaltyWaterArt's landscape class tonight after missing two weeks; this month's theme is waterfalls. It was nice to be back.

The reference photo was complex, beautiful. And every student's interpretation was different ... and very good; I coveted several.

Ronna smartly had us do two smaller studies before starting the "painting."

I need to do more studies-- a great way to relax and try color mixes.

classwork

My homework for the second Paul Talbot Greaves class.

It must always be a struggle to try to paint like someone else. That's my excuse, anyway!

daffodils

Quick sketch of some daffodils.

I was away last week; came back and all the daffodils are in bloom-- and the forsythias too.

sketchbook pages

The neverending challenge of daffodils.

Friday still life

                                8x8

Painted these without drawing first, which I think sometimes helps me paint more freely.

Below, one I drew first. The white hellebore was a challenge and it in no way conveys the elegant beauty of a hellebore.

I never had a hellebore in my yard before but now I have this one, given to me by friends who now winter in FL and so aren't home when it blooms.

sumi daffodils

classwork

                                                                        10x14

Painted this in an online class with Megan Swoyer. I like painting with Megan, she favors a loose, painterly style and it's quite relaxing. She's got a nice group of students.

I feel like I overdid this a bit, especially the leaves, but it's okay.

try again

Had another go at the paintings from yesterday.

I painted this on a piece of Fabriano Artistico 300lb that they sent me to replace some (140lb) paper I bought a while back. (I bought several packs of 16x20 sheets of paper that were labeled Fabriano, but were not.)

On first try, I've got to say I'm not too keen on this paper: it's incredibly "soft," like painting on cotton balls.

classwork

Starting a class with Paul Talbot Greaves. I have admired his work for a while: his greens are stunning. 

I can see I have some toning down to do in my colors and hope to try these both again ...think I was a little uptight when I painted these!

daffodils

Got out all my yellows yesterday to practice daffodils.