Sunday, September 20, 2009

"Wind And Sea At Shell Beach"

On my painting trip to Gualala/Sea Ranch two weeks ago, I started this painting but ran out of time to finish it while there. This is called a 'start'. I finally got to it in the last two days and finished it!

I used the same palette as in the painting: "Wind And Sea (Gualala)". This palette is: pthalo green, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, carbazole violet, transparent red oxide, fire red, cadmium orange, hansa yellow orange, cadmium yellow orange, cadmium yellow, cadmium green, yellow ochre, and titanium white. A transparent varnish wash was used in the first layer, using local color.

Friday, September 18, 2009

"McClellan Ranch Reverie"

It was another incredible day painting with the Northern California Academy of Painters! We met in Cupertino at McClellan Ranch Park and painted for hours! I was there from 9:30am to 2:30pm! This is the first of two paintings that are variations on the same theme. The drama of the foreground tree with the background trees lent itself to a vertical format.

I sketched quick thumbnails to explore the division of space as well as to study the values. I used Payne's gray/carbazole violet mixture to locate the trees, path, foreground, background and sky. I massed in the shapes with varnish washes, using local color. Lastly, I applied thicker paint to finish up the painting. The color palette used was: Payne's gray, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, carbazole violet, transparent red oxide, fire red, hansa yellow orange, cadmium yellow orange, cadmium medium, cadmium green, and titanium white.

Monday, September 14, 2009

"Facing The Unknown": Abstract Figurative Collage

This collage has taken months to complete! Looking out a window and facing the unknown were thoughts that emerged while creating this collage and seeing the figure over many days and months.

I felt a desire to add splashes of warm red/orange/gold colors to my palette of neutrals. Something exciting and new is bubbling up here.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

"Golden Path" California Plein Air Landscape

Today I painted with the California Academy of Painters at McClellan Park in Cupertino. This scene with the golden path and golden field captured my eye. A varnish wash was used in the first layer, then thicker layers of opaque paint were applied. The color palette was: phthalo green, carbazole violet, transparent red oxide, hansa yellow orange, cadmium yellow orange, cadmium yellow medium, Naples yellow, and titanium white. It was a beautiful, clear sunny day and very hot!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

"Wind And Sea (Gualala)"

This was the first of five seascapes I painted on the trip to Gualala/Sea Ranch. This painting was just sold to a collector from Santa Cruz County by Many Hands Gallery in Capitola. This is a 9"x12" oil painting on mahogany luan panel. I used a varnish wash as the undercoat. Thicker layers were applied with the following palette of colors: phthalo green, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, carbazole violet, transparent red oxide, fire red, cadmium orange, cadmium yellow orange, yellow ochre, cadmium green, and titanium white. This painting was done at Shell Beach in Sea Ranch overlooking the bluffs and sea.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Shell Beach/Sea Ranch Seascape

This 9"x12" seascape was painted last weekend at Shell Beach in Sea Ranch. Colors employed were: pthalo green, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, carbazole violet, fire red, cadmium orange, cadmium yellow orange, transparent red oxide, yellow ochre, cadmium green, and titanium white. A varnish wash was used, then thicker layers were applied atop the wash.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Gualala/Sea Ranch Paintings

This is one of four plein air oil paintings from my Gualala/Sea Ranch painting workshop with Brigitte Curt and Jim Smyth. This is 9"x12" on mahogany luan panel. The palette was: pthalo green, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, carbazole violet, transparent red oxide, fire red, yellow ochre, cadmium orange, cadmium green, cadmium yellow orange, and transparent white.
In these works, I was painting as fast and vigorously as possible! It was a beautiful, windy day at Shell Beach at Sea Ranch.