Sunflowers: Who Me?

Last summer, Harry had rows of sunflowers. There were many expressive types and I had planned to paint some for fun. The sky colour did not turn out in the photo - it is ultramarine blue and much stronger.

Fiesta Bowl

Corrections made - dish shape adjusted, shadow for bottle improved.

Why is it that once posted I see what is off - the dish sits a bit on an angle. But at least I painted something.

Spring Thaw

Couldn't get painting today - starting sorting and cleaning up my painting area - and then I went outside. After a long Canadian winter, 10 degree Celsius and sun is balmy. So I brought out my Pochade box and painted a pool of water that was reflecting the sky. It was great to paint outside, but after a while, quite chilly and so I did this rather quick.

Uphill

The intent was to use the zigzaging lines to lead the eye to the upper right barn, but I think they instead converge and stop at the lower right spot. Tried some new ideas with the sky using several colours, same value. Work with perspective on the building - guess this is what is called a "study".

March en Plein Air

Mary and I painted outside today - first time this year. The sun was warm, the snow is melting and we went to work. After planning, sketching and painting, the end result was very dull and weak. Mary was working with a palette knife and suggested that I use up my leftover paint and do a quick study with the knife. Here it is, and with great glee I wiped down the other one.

Olive Grove in Tuscany

Photos from past trips are being pulled out again, and I remember the interesting colours of olive trees. It think that they are a bit too light in value. but they were satisfying to paint.

Daisies

Some Lavender

Per Silvia's request - but not the postcard.
Lavender is tricky - I will try some different ways and colours.

Etruscan Roses

The horse is of etruscan style from Italy, the roses are minatures from a bush. I was focused on drawing and of course - roses.

Duo

The idea here was to create a warmer red rose ...to be continued.

Another World

A chair stood alone in this corner in a medieval castle in Provence and felt like a portal to another world.

Green Cup

A change from roses.

Red Roses

Well, it is another attempt at roses, especially red ones.....so easy to get too dark with red....and the leaves need to be greyed down.

Rose Bouquet

Was looking up rose paintings from old and contemporary masters today - and a friend has suggested Manet. So this one is inspired by Manet, and my friend.

Illusive Roses

More roses, and besides being painted they are now being sketched too. And I bought a new bunch to go through this exercise again. My thinking is that eventually I will know them so well that they will appear on the canvas in a few natural strokes....at least that is the intention.

Following your own Rhythm

Woody Woodpecker zoomed past the window in a moment when I was thinking about what to paint next, maybe even going outside but feeling the weight of choosing a "correct" composition. I had just read the many responses to Robert Genn's request for an online critique of his painting http://clicks.robertgenn.com/your-opinion.php. Everyone has an opinion, often a different one. So in the end, follow your own rhythm.

A pair of pileated woodpeckers live in our forest and poke around the trees. Seeing him whiz by just fueled a desire to paint that moment...and for now, not worry about the composition. It will serve as my reminder to follow my own unique rhythm and flight.

And on that topic, it is worth watching this 20 minute video of a talk given by Elizabeth Gilbert on A Different Way to Think about Creative Genius http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

Single Rose

Am back on the subject of roses again, for they seem quite challenging to me - they tantalize, and beg to be painted and then they become a swirl of petals and I get confused and lost in the maze of details. At least the light coloured rose was easier to work with then the intense red one.

Poppy Lane

Because this red is such a delicious colour, I had to discipline myself and keep it to a minimum. This scene is from Provence when Ian took those who wanted to paint poppies so that we would get it out of our system. Must say, it still is IN my system.

Exercise: seeing colour in shiny metal

Today Mary and I did an exercise from the book "How to See and Paint Colour" by Arthur Stern. The idea was to see all the different colours reflected in a shiny metal pot that is surrounded by red, blue and yellow bristol board and paint what we see, rather than what we think we see.