Sunny Plummy Kind of Day-Sunflowers and Plums Step by Step

 

8"x6" oil on linen mounted on panel

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It seems I've fallen into a pattern this summer, paint on sunny weekdays, work in the garden on the weekends, and blog on rainy days or evenings.  This is from one of those sunny days last week! 

I did take the time to photograph some steps along the way. For those that have been following this blog for a long while now, realize that I continue to integrate technique as it suits me.  Sometimes putting together things I've done in the past in new or different ways. For the last several years I had been painting with only a knife, no under-paintings,  just straight working onto the support (whether canvas or panel).  Prior to that I had usually made an under-painting of some sort before proceeding.  Of late some fellow artists work has caught my eye that has a wonderful 'thin transparency to  thick opacity' type of quality to it.    I'm enjoying this - altering my painting surface,  in a way that I'd call 'additive & subtractive' - disrupting edges as I go, still in love with the textural quality of the paint.  C.W. Mundy,  Julie Ford Oliver, and Jon Redmond are some of these recent influences. 

So, for starters, I laid in a transparent red on the linen surface, wiped back a little, then added some darker transparent areas.  

Then proceeded to draw in general shapes - for placement - and continue laying in the large dark shapes, then scrape back in some areas to keep transparency. 

And no, that is not black paint as it appears in this photo. For this dark I'll use alizarin & ultramarine & usually viridian. I use a warm & cool of each primary on my palette, sometimes I'll include either a sap green or viridian. 

 I start blocking in mid-tones and lights....again breaking up those edges, or scraping back some of the paint in places altogether...not allowing anything to get "too precious". 

Continue on, adjusting/maintaining the values that you intended for your composition. 

It DOES feel like a juggling/balancing act! I am working under a large patio umbrella to shade my canvas and palette.  If you don't have access to a bit of shade, at least turn your canvas away from the sun. Working with that brilliant sun on your work surface (canvas and palette) can be blinding..and make your final work appear very dark once you bring it inside. 

Bring in the knives to make your final adjustments! Palette knife that is, unless you are terribly disheartened by what you've done so far....and if you are.....either scrape it back & re-adjust, OR turn it aside for another day. If it's a total scrapper, it's experience under your belt. Usually coming back to it with a fresh eye reveals what you 'might have' done better. If your paint surface is still wet/open, go for it. Food for thought!

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Over the years methods that stick with us are the ones that really speak to us. I know when I look at any painting, I like to see PAINT used liberally.  Perhaps it is from one of my instructors from almost two decades ago who encouraged me to lay out much more paint on my palette, "stingy paint, stingy painting" (thank you John Bannon).  I knew then I wanted a lush palette,  and the boldness to use that paint. Not all of our intentions come to us exactly when we wish it. I've found it's a lifetime commitment, a continual effort to  show up at the easel and just paint!

Impasto Technique (Frosting the Cupcakes) - Tuscan Melon, French Roses

16"x20" oil on linen mounted on museum quality panel

"So many people work in arenas that discourage creativity. In fact, society as a whole attempts to persuade us not to consider an independent creative lifestyle as a wise choice. Nevertheless I guarantee that, whatever your chosen field, art will enrich your life."
- Kevin Macpherson

Glad to be back to painting & blogging! I've been away to Florida, and brought my mom up to CT for a week-long visit. I was determined to make it a memorable trip for her. She flew back home yesterday, and I promptly returned to my studio to work on a commission- I can hardly wait to show you - more on that later!

Over the last year or so, I've had many people ask me about my "impasto technique". The quest to achieve this "lushness" that so greatly appealed to me began many years ago.

Over the years, I had this feeling I wanted more paint on the canvas, but I wasn't sure how I wanted to go about doing that. I was going through Kevin Macpherson's book, "Landscape Painting Inside & Out" and there was one section called "Ten Outside Painting Challenges" - all were helpful - but #6 was "Paint by the Pound". He suggested the following exercise - use a 9x12" panel, squeeze out an entire tube of white onto your palette, as well as a half tube each of red, yellow, & blue. USE IT ALL on this one panel! The lesson he's trying to get across is that most students never put out enough paint. It is one of the best learning exercises - and truly an "ah-ha" moment. You might not continue to use all this paint in every work you do, but you will learn to free yourself from "stinginess" with the paint.

Back at that time (when I tried Macpherson's exercise) I was using brushes, and I had tried them all, flats, brights, filberts, and then.....rounds!!! I did find I could lay down more paint in the manner I found pleasing, with round brushes. Eventually, I gave the palette knife a try - inspired by Leif Nilsson's beautiful work. I had seen Leif's work in magazines for years, but when I finally saw it in 'real-life', I knew there was the path I'd follow! So I gave the knives a try for a year or so....and eventually, I had the good fortune to study with him (last summer) and it made all the difference in what I was seeking.

I know when you first pick up a palette knife to paint with, it feels so WEIRD! But, if you start to think of it like frosting cupcakes, you eventually get the hang of it. You know how if you don't get enough frosting, or you press too hard with the knife - it tears up the top of the cupcake? But if you lighten your touch, and have enough frosting on there it works..and you don't want it too watered down either, or else it will run off the sides of the cupcake instead of sitting up there nice & yummy looking. So that's the analogy. I also found over time that the bigger & more flexible a knife you use, that can make an easier time of it too. I still mostly use 2 medium-large sized knives for the small paintings - one with a pointy tip and one with a rounded tip. For really huge paintings (for me that's anything over 20" in any direction) I use what looks sort of like a trowel, but it's actually a painting knife.

The other thing that I REALLY love about painting with a knife is that I find I waste less paint. Yes, you do use a lot...but it's going on your canvas (or whatever ground you're using). It's ideal for plein-air as the clean-up is so much easier. Wipe off your (one single) knife, instead of tons of brushes! AND you don't need to carry flammable solvents or mediums!

I hope this helps! I am interested in putting together a workshop using these methods! Please let me know if this interests you!

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