I spent an hour in the studio
on Thursday after spending a couple days making a new master list of paintings.
I figured out how/where to set up the new tracer/projector and looked at a
photo projection onto the paper. (This will be a new avenue for me to explore
as I often doubt how I see perspective. I’m hoping the tracer will help.) Oops,
the tracer doesn’t work on an in-process painting.
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| Following the Creek work in progress |
I worked on the horizon of
19-009. (I’d started it sometime this summer then got distracted by gardening
projects. Now, I’m back in the studio!) I titled it “Creek Along the Road,” didn’t
like that title so renamed it “Following the Creek.” I stayed to the left side
of the scene because this line of trees was slightly more forward than the
right side, and the trees a little more prominent. I worked with pastel
pencils, then went on to Senneliers.
The road in the photo is
paved, but I want to create a dirt road … as if in the olden days. This will be
a challenge. I worked the thinner horizon lines and I re-did the far edge of
the top creek angle. Three times I tried to walk away, took photos, then saw
something to “fix.”
I was back at it the next
day, worked for 45 minutes. I'm always amazed when I notice things in the photo
needing to be "fixed" that I didn't notice on the actual painting.
Still so much to do.
I completed along the horizon
and started adding shadows and color changes in grasses. There’s so much marsh
grass, it’s hard to tell. I added more colors and hints of the purple grasses. I
kept working the far creek banks.
I slipped back in the studio
after viewing the photo and attempted to make the top section of the creek look
like it’s winding back to the right. (Didn’t take a new photo.)
On Saturday, I took
a break from editing to work in the studio. There's so much I want to (should
do) like put tarps over the wicker furniture under the deck, get out the
outside Christmas lights and work on that while it's a decent day ... but the
studio called louder.
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I
worked all over, just working on whatever spoke to me in the moment. My
paintings often come out a little dark (my photos do, too.) I don't know if
that's how I see because when I try to go lighter, I'm not as happy with it. It
looks like I'm matching the photo colors ... but once the fixative is sprayed
and it's matted and under glass, it'll be even darker. Another lesson to figure
out.
I ached from standing at the easel an hour. I might have it too high. I'm waiting to finish this painting, then I'll pull the easel out of the corner and lower it ... not as easy as it sounds (for me.)
I
always find the learning curves interesting. You'd think after painting for
years I'd have it all down pat, but there's a consistent evolution. Mediums
changed, my style changes, technique gets better. The journey is fascinating,
and I laugh at myself often now.
I’m still struggling with the
impressionism aspect with the style. I keep wanting to put in those precise,
detailed lines on the horizon like in the photo, but that doesn’t work with
what I’m doing now. It’d be different if I was doing drawings but painting with
pastels doesn’t allow me to do that.
Yes, I know there are pastel
artists who do detailed work, but I’m not that focused. I need the softness,
the smoothness. I am not as loose as other artists, so I’m trying to find my
own way and develop my own style.
Today, I was back at it after finishing the editing work and
putting together my weekly column for the paper. This fell into one of those “don’t
like it” days. I kept pushing until my knees were screaming and I had to sit
down.
The photo I took of the progress had me heading back to make
a couple of adjustments. There, better! I still have quite a bit to do … maybe
I can finish this one tomorrow.
As always, the painting looks amazing from about 5 feet
away.
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