Musing about landscapes...

A few days ago a friend was looking through photos of my paintings and it occurred to me that I really do not stick to one theme when I paint.  For which I mumbled a bewildered 'apology' to her.  Her response was to never stop painting a variety of topics. This was encouraging and helped me in overcoming my phobia of not painting in a particular way or being consistent in subject matter.

Last week an artist in our group came with oil paints to give away saying that she was sticking to acrylics from now on.  Since no one else wanted them I gladly put them in my bag.  In fall I was going to "learn to paint with oils." At least I am hoping to take a class to teach me the process.  But on Saturday I stopped at the art shop and purchased walnut oil and a turpenoid cleaner and I just might open up those oils soon.  So not only will I paint a variety of subjects, with a variety of techniques but I may soon paint with watercolours, acrylics and oils.

In the meantime I've spent several weeks working through Peter Fiore's dvd titled River Bend.  While he paints with oils I've been plodding through this with acrylics and have come back repeatedly to subdue the brightness and to blend the colours.  I think I am almost finished.

River Bend .1  22 x 28 acrylic

I am encouraged by those who tend to paint in a less detailed manner - less realistic but not abstract.  Impressionistic - perhaps one might call it expressionistic because there is movement and a sense of place in many of these. Well I am working at it! 

The two paintings below which I've just finished are quite different.  This first of the prairie landscape is done with a larger brush using looser strokes.  I have tried hard not to be 'too fiddly'. 

Prairie Landscape  12 x 12"  acrylic

Below is a rather turbulent water and sky scene done with my favourite palette knife using lots of soft gel medium.  With this method I tend to play a lot with the paint and medium and gradually form an image.  I like the brightness of the colours and the movement that happened.

Rough Waters 12 x 12 "  acrylic

mock orange

Today I had coffee with a friend who has been living in India. We sat in the sunshine on the outside deck of the cafe and I could feel the sun's warmth seeping into my chilled bones!!  It has been another long winter.

Soon though I think the wind will come and explode open the buds on the ornamental crabapples and our streets will be full of pink and white blossoms.  Soon after that the mock orange will open and spread its very special fragrance through the garden - well, actually in one spot in our garden and that being near the compost so it is a welcome presence… not that the compost smells or anything, it is just the old and the new, the dead and alive, the scented and the decaying contrasts - those contrasts that make our lives so interesting.

This is a small watercolour [~9x10] of a few of last years blooms on our mock orange.

Today's Colours

 Celebrating the colours of today…

market purchases today

At the market I purchased a few garden plants, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, and a most beautiful April Cornell 'vintage' tablecloth!  I absolutely love the colours.

We drove out to PineView Farms to buy chickens and then on to Valley Meats for sausage where we came across some delightful scarecrows!

 

I love the city lights in the evening. This was taken a few days ago.

Today's Sketches

It has been tough to settle down and paint recently but I went to art group today so 'had to come up with something!'  Today's sketches are done but very different from each other and definitely only sketches.

The watercolour was done at our "group" where sometimes I have a hard time concentrating with all the chatter [which is always great but… unless I plan ahead, what I end up with is a surprise] and today I did not plan ahead. I cut off the top of the sky because it was "too busy" but wanted to keep the centre part because I do like the glow in the sky. I'm getting more familiar with producing this type of glow which I think is important in watercolour.

Then mid afternoon I did this acrylic on watercolour paper.  I was told that you could paint with acrylics on watercolour paper and decided to try it on a watercolour that did not turn out.  I had washed off the watercolour a few days back and it was dry so I painted over it!  The result is rather bright and hopefully 'impressionistic' and a huge contrast to the watercolour above which was done on a hot pressed paper which is very smooth and soft. The acrylic is on a heavy rough paper.