Tag: landscape

Poplars

I don’t know why, but I always thought these were called “plane trees,” but it turns out they are poplars. We don’t have them here in SoCal. The ones we do have that look similar – in the sense they are narrow trees that grow tall – can be a type of juniper or eucalyptus. I am really drawn to these trees because of their fine branches and leaves which change in the fall.

If you read my blitherings, you know that I am enrolled in an oil / acrylic painting class which meets weekly, and have been in it for several months. I chose oils as they can be worked on over several days with the paint remaining wet over a period of time. What I like about oils is they blend easily and a softness can be achieved (by me, at least) that I can never get when I use acrylics. In this painting, I worked on both simplification and abstraction of various elements of the painting as well as atmospheric perspective. I only considered this painting “finished” when I added some squiggles in the water to suggest movement.

Overall, I am pleased with my results. I have spent several months gazing at it. It never seemed done until those little squiggles showed up. Crazy, huh?

Oils, 12×16, cotton canvas panel

Institution

This is sort of an amalgamation of pictures and buildings. It may be part monastery, part hospital, part something. So, “Insititution”.

A few goals here. First, a building of some complexity. Next, contrast on the building with sunny areas and shady areas. Mission accomplished, sort of!

I also used gouache, white and black, for different areas of the painting.

Watercolors, Arches rough 140# 10×14 paper.

Two Trees in a Field

Once more, it is hot and sticky, but not as miserable as yesterday. Today, I am a bit more energetic but still not running around in the 90F and then some heat. And I am in a far better mood, too! No flies. No mosquitos. And a replacement package for the stolen one arrived today. Now, September is here, and though summer is not yet over, Labor Day (American holiday always on the first Monday of the month) is, for many of us, the official end of summer.

The end of summer means the fields are mown, crops and hay gathered in. Tracks and stubble leave lines behind in the shorn meadow. Heat, light, late afternoon.

That is all that this painting about. I did it after the one I posted the other day and, as with the other “Two Trees”, I am happy with the results here. I like the long shadows in the lower right, but if they are realistic or not is not the point – they just make for a bit more of an interesting picture!

In landscapes, you are the goddess of your painting!

Watercolors, Arches rough 140# paper, 10×14.

2 Trees

With little to do other than post about flies (see yesterday) and gripe about the heat and a missing package, it is always best to move on to things which please you the most. For me, it is waterolors and landscapes. These are two things that usually give me a lot of delight and certainly act as a balm when I am feeling really pissy!

Okay. Heat doesn’t do me well, so I have the air conditioning on and the house has cooled down from 81 F to about 76 F. The latter is manageable. Lots of water and electrolytes, too. And then, watercolor and color and trees and skies and the feel of brush on paper. Even better, a painting I like, and a second one, which will posted after this one.

I am not really sure what to write about this painting. It is pretty simple. It is a simple scene of trees sits on the edge of a sandy bit of land and is backed by a few distant trees, grasses, and shrubs. The palette was simple enough. I worked to make my painting simple, too, and focused on shapes and contrast as well as recall of some lessons learnt from classes. I think it shows summer, too, and a bit of the sultriness I am feeling – humidity, heat, balmy. And very lazy.

Watercolors, Arches Rough 140#, 10×14.

Toward Yaquina Head

Awhile ago I went to Newport, Oregon, with a friend. We spent a few days there and went to the various touristy areas around town as well as visited the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. It was a rather overcast day, quite chilly for the middle of summer. The hills were green and filled with wildflowers, the sea air fresh. Coming from a dry SoCal, it was a bit of paradise! I took a lot of photos, and this painting is based upon one of them.

The medium of choice was gouache with a tan heavy-weight paper as the surface. I usually paint on white, but as I have a big tablet of it, I decided to go ahead and try it out. I rather like the results, but truthfully have no idea if the tan paper makes a difference in the final appearance. The whites do seem brighter in this painting than they usually do, so perhaps there is merit in using toned paper. More paintings on the toned paper will be done as I like the surface for the painting.

Gouache, tan toned paper, 7×10.