Plein Air #19

Painting in Brooklyn again today...
I used my Vasari landscape mixes, but I wish I hadn't, as the greens are perfect for some things but were too dull for today.

I didn't want to focus on color but on composition...specifically circular composition.
6x8 oil on panel



Well, it's said that it takes 100 paintings to get a good one, 81 more to go. :D

Daya had lots of fun too.

More Brooklyn Plein Air

I learned today that people are not allowed to sit on the grass in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens... unless you are painting!! Isn't that awesome?

I am now 18 PA paintings in, learning as I go. My copy of Edgar Payne's Composition of Outdoor Painting just arrived and i can't wait to read it.

I did 3 things differently today:
*left black off my palette
*did a quick charcoal sketch before painting
*attempted the pigment soup approach

This is a split complementary palette, Alizarin crimson, cadmium green, maganese violet plus white and Torrit Grey (as the mother color)

So much to learn!

6x8 Oil on Panel

Duchess

My friend commissioned this painting for her daughter's birthday. She wanted to give a gift with special meaning rather than the typical stuff.

8x10
oil on panel



I need to have April Art goals- here they are:
1) finish the grisaille for Twilight
2)study up on plein air painting and practice! I just got my copy of Edgar Payne's "Composition of Outdoor Painting", which is like the plein air bible. And I also got a sketchbook to keep a plein air journal- something I wish i did from the start. I wish I had noted down the palettes I used for different paintings- some I remember some i do not. But I put everything in to date, and will keep more detailed records going forward.
3) start that wedding painting that needs to be done before Memorial day

Spring

Yesterday I had a bad headache all day, but went out painting in Central Park anyhow.
Here are the highlights:

Paintings done: 2
Hours the weather was perfect: 24
Kids peeing on the tree I stood under: 1
Hott guys who came over to watch: 1
People who asked "Is that acrylic?": 3
People who tried to touch the painting: 1

9x12 oil on panel


I took a break between paintings and went to the Met. If you go in the downstairs entrance, they will not let you put a camera tripod in the coat check. It is considered a "sensitive" item.

The guards in the main entrance upstairs agreed that was a little wacky.



I am not happy with my plein air painting, but I can't pinpoint why not. It might be an issue of style. It isn't magical, and I want it to be magical. So I am reading a few good books, and practicing as much as I can and looking at different artists' work. I would dearly love to take a workshop but don't know if I can manage that with time - it is a lot to ask my friend to watch my daughter for multiple days at a time, and I will most probably be going to London again this year for work. So I'll just do the best I can with what i have.

The park was so pretty.












Because it is Spring, and coloring eggs is fun, Daya and I made Easter bread. :)



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I just realized i forgot to post these from last week!
Poor neglected blog...

6x8 oil on panel

These three were painted with the Zorn palette- cadmium red light, yellow ochre, French ultramarine, ivory black, titanium white





I did this purple tree while Daya ran around in the grass. She likes it so I gave it to her. :)