Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Trees Painting Study

 
Notes From My Tree Painting Journal
 
 
This is a painting study, 8x10 inches. I don't know why this image is so bad. The canvas texture is showing through the painting. This is a portal between trees at Fair Oaks. I've been playing around with mixing greens and studying with some neutrals. I toned the canvas with Ivory black first and then used UB with Ivory as the block in for my darks in the painting. I added mixtures of cad orange, lemon yellow, yellow medium and ochre for the various greens in the canopy and field. I put the brightest color in the field beyond the trees. Lots of fun using a limited palette and neutrals.
 

Sunday, July 27, 2014

A new Tree For Me

A New Tree For Me
 
 
Notes From My Tree Painting Journal
 
 
My heritage and champion tree project has begun to morph into a project of painting trees that I personally think are special. I have never painted a Flame Tree, also known as the Royal Poinciana Tree. They don't grow this far north in Florida but are quite common in south Florida. I wanted to paint one because they are so spectacular, I  really enjoyed painting this one with the South Florida palms with the long fronds. The painting is more subtle than this image shows. I wanted to keep much of it neutral to show off the tree without competing with it.  I am beginning to study neutrals in palette adjacent to powerful intensity. I see so many of the paintings of this tree where everything in the painting is bright.
 
 
This one was very fun!
 

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Finished 40x60 Trees Painting

 
Notes From My Tree Painting Journal
 
 
I finished this 40x60 tree painting on Monday. It is drying for a couple of days and will go to my retail studio to be installed on Saturday. There is a glare on the canvas on the top left side, so the sky and clouds look a bit off in color in the image. I had a great time with this painting. I love to work in a large format.
 
 
I am studying Royal Poinciana Trees a bit, as I want to do a 20x24 oil on one. I'm in the research stage, doing small acrylic studies right now.
 

Saturday, July 12, 2014

A Large Trees Painting in Stages

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4
 
 

Stage 5
 
I'm working on a large trees painting in stages this month. It is 40x60 inches on deep gallery wrap canvas. I will continue the painting around the edges for a clean finish without framing. it replaces another trees painting, exactly the same size, that sold two weeks ago.  I love working on the big paintings. They really make a statement to viewers who come in the studio. I'll show the rest of the stages when it is finished. I'll be done this week.
 
Palette:
 
titanium white
ivory black
ultramarine blue
turquoise blue
yellow ochre
cad yellow medium
cad yellow lemon
cad red light