Tag: drought

WIP: Trees in a Drought #3

I am not sure whether this is done, overdone, or not yet done! Certainly it is more finished than before – and I am not sure I even like it – so it is in the garage to dry and to be ignored for awhile.

Oil paints are proving to be a pleasure to use. Their malleability makes them easy in comparison to acrylic paint. Add to that, they don’t end up looking plasticky.

Compositionally this painting has little to offer. It’s just a study of trees and color and playing with paints. A learning experience by doing. For instance, I finally “got it” when using brushes – and why painters use multiple brushes in oils. You know how you always see the artist holding 2 or 3 or more brushes in one hand, painting with the other? It is – for me at least – a way to keep colors more pure without creating mud. That was an eye-opener. In water based paints it is really quick and easy to clean a brush, but not with oils. Okay, new thing learned.

Below is the photograph I used as the basis for this painting along with all stages of the painting itself so far.

WIP: 3 Trees in a California Drought

I have been taking an oil painting / acrylic painting class through the local adult school, and the current teacher is pretty good. I am only doing oils this go around – I did acrylics last class – and I am finding them far more to my liking than acrylics. Much more to offer in terms of – what? – pleasure in using. With acrylics I feel like I am in a mad dash to paint and that really is not a fun experience. With oils, you can play and take your time, and that for this impatient person is actually a pleasure after the pressures I felt with acrylics!

This is what my backyard looks like – hell. There is no grass and there are too many big trees. Once we get rid of 10 more 35 foot tall trees and have the back yard plowed up to be rid of tree roots, then I might be able to make it far more habitable. Nonetheless, looking for something to paint, I decided to take a photo of some of the trees against the back wall and push it in color to an extreme. By pushing the colors in LR I thought I might find new colors to use in the painting. And, it worked – I found purples and turquoises and rather icky orangish yellows.

So, I am trying to do this alla prima, but it’s not going to happen. It is happening so far in two alla prima sessions, and probably will need three or more. I am not trying to create a masterpiece. I am trying to learn how to use oils. So, this is play, and here it is, after my second alla prima session.

Next class is in a couple of days, so let’s see where it goes from here . . .

First, and Early

No April Fool’s. Three rainstorms this winter, and this is what we can expect – fires. Ten minutes down the road from me.

The state of California has hired 1400 more firefighters in anticipation of a long and horrible fire season. With the massive we burns we have had locally and in the mountains, there is some speculation that the fire season will not be as bad as the damage is already done, but it will occur nonetheless. And be fierce.

I keep thinking I need to move someplace else before all I see are cacti and dirt. California is not the only place suffering – drought is affecting our crops. In the midwest, the bread basket of the country, is losing top soil, is no longer the same environment it was 50 years ago. Everywhere, we need to learn to farm more strategically for dryer climes.

I hate to think what this summer will bring.

14 / 365 Pond at the Corner of the Path

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The rains have begun to turn our dreary California landscape into a bright green.  This little puddle is now a pond.

While a lot of California is considered to be “out of the drought”, where I live, we are still considered to be in drought conditions.  We have more storms on the way, which will help with our drought, but the aquifers are still below normal levels.  Unless California considers continuing stringent water control and water storage problems, these rains will mean nothing if we have little rain in the years to come.

Early Morning

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Another photo from the misty, moisty morning I climbed out of bed . . . .  While the Galaxy S5 takes OK panos, I like the stitching-together process better.  Here is a view of Mount Clef across the grasses of the small valley in Wildwood Park nearby my home.  Today we expect 86F, and tomorrow 91F.  I think I live in hell sometimes, even though it is very pretty!  I am tired of this heat – ongoing heat – and dream of water falling from the sky.