This piece is 10x 8 inches and was mostly done outside on location. I did do some adjustments when I got it back to the studio, but this was my most challenging paintings outside. I particularly like the contrast of the greens with the maroon in the tree bark on the spruce trees here. This is a very typical scene here in Juneau.
This must be one of my favorite spots because I have painted it several times now. I find the dead trees very interesting and they change so much with the different light. It is a little creek that is on the way to the Mendenhall Glacier where my husband and I walk quite often. Sometimes there are bear down in there to watch too. Pretty soon the area will be flooded with tourists going to see the glacier and hoping to catch a glimpse of a bear.
This is another 10×8 oil of Mendenhall Glacier. I love this view from a large stream up the road as you approach the Glacier. There is often fog here and sometimes you can only catch a glimpse of the glacier itself, but it is very interesting to me when it is like this. There are always wonderful reflections in the areas of water around the glacier and this is one in particular that I like because of all the dead trees in the water, giving it a nice textural quality. As a note though, I find these trees extremely difficult to paint. I have found them very challenging. So in order to overcome this, I will be painting them quite a lot for practice ( =
In this 8×10 painting, I really wanted to push the warmth in the bushes to contrast all the cold in this scene. That part went pretty well, but I really struggled with the reflections in the ice. This is how it looks after 3 attempts at getting it right. At this point I have decided to let it dry before I do it again. It kind of amazes me sometimes, the things I struggle with. It certainly isn’t predictable. I am hoping that I can get it right on the fourth go round. we shall see. Anyone with helpful tips here is welcome to chime in ( =
I thought I would show another example of an Underpainting, because when I first started painting I couldn’t get enough information about the different ways that people choose to paint. I enjoy seeing how other people paint…it gives me ideas and may lead to better things. It’s good for us to know that there is not just one way to do things. Rather there are a vast number of ways to do the same thing! I think this is very helpful to know. Actually, I think this little painting is the very first time that I tried doing an Underpainting. You can see just how much detail I included in the early stages.
I’m sure this may be old news to many people, but I can remember how fascinated that I was with it early on. So I wanted to do a few posts to show any beginners how they might try it.
This is one example of how I used the underpainting process. The detail in this particular picture probably didn’t warrant the need but I was still experimenting with it at this point. But you can clearly see how helpful it is to see the value in a two toned painting. And I must say again, that at this stage, it is really easy to adjust something that may look a bit off. This layer of paint should be very loose and thinned down with turp or mineral spirits. You don’t need to add white to your burnt sienna, you just thin it down a bit more. It is also very easy to wipe something off and redo it. If nothing else, I find this quite fun to play around with because you can move the paint so easily.
This is a 6×6 painting, and it is the first painting that I have done on Gesso board. I have been wanting to try this since my first post. I read in Carol Marine’s book that she uses it and likes it. There are several artists whose paintings have a smooth flowing brush stroke style and I have been unable to get that in my paintings. It seems like they must either use gesso board or a smoother canvas than I do. To save on cost, I have given into using an inexpensive canvas board most of the time for these small practice pieces. But it does not help to practice what doesn’t work for you. I need to begin either using Gesso board or prepping my canvas in a different way to create a smoother finish. I have recently found another brand of canvas board that is not too expensive and does have a wonderful smooth coating. (the brand is Art Advantage) I cannot get it here in Juneau, and shipping is always expensive to Alaska so I have not used it on a regular basis. But I am beginning to think I should. I will have to get a bunch when I travel back to Maine next month.
Anyway, I did enjoy the Gesso board. It is a little tricky to learn a lighter touch with the brush so you don’t pull paint off with a second stroke, but I especially like that the brush strokes remain visible. This is merely a preference, and many people do not like this look. I do look forward to playing around with it more.
This is a little 5×7 that just looked like a challenge with all the foliage and the upside down reflections. You can almost turn it upside down to display it as well. ( = I am finding that greens can be a challenge, especially when there are so many different shades in one painting. This is probably another thing I could practice…the many different greens.
This is a pond my Dad and Grandfather dug. I have many fond memories of swimming here. After a long, hot day of work in the summer we would jump in to cool off. Was wonderful! It is always a good spot for a photo with good lighting. Now it makes a good painting.
Art with my Coffee 