A big painting

Notes From My Tree Painting Journal

The above paintings are possible compositions for my next 40x60 inch Live Oak Painting. I sold the 40x60 painting I had in the town studio on Thursday. I have ordered a new canvas which will arrive in about 2 weeks, so I am busy doing various composings  for the next big painting. 

I'll do some miniatures as well to help me decide on palette as well. It is always exciting for me to do a large format tree painting. I can only do them as one sells. It is very hard for me to store large paintings and expensive to do. I'm excited!

Field Three Live Oak Tree

Tree Art

 

Notes From My Tree Painting Journal

 

 

I recently got back from a painting residency in Crystal River, where I spent 6 days out looking at and painting studies of the marshes. The thing that I wanted to study the most was the atmospheric quality and depth of these large flat vistas. I also put in quite a bit of time studying unusual color in the cloud formations over the marshes. Late in the day I saw quite a few yellow and orange creamsicle color in the billowing cloud formations as they began to heat up and grow spectacularly.

 

 

Now that I am back in the painting studio, I'm using some of that observation in my tree paintings as well.  Here is a marsh painting done in studio since I returned home.

 

 



Lots of tree studies

Live Oak Study

8x10 inches

Acrylic on panel

I have been doing a lot of tree studies over the last month, getting my acrylic skills back and having a lot of fun with the process of painting. Sometimes doing multiple studies allows me to just free up and not worry about good or bad. I am switching between oils and acrylics regularly, to keep both skill sets up to par. 

I'm in Crystal River this week, using oils to paint the wild red cedars and cabbage palms. Great practice!

A Study

Tree Art

 

Notes From My Tree Painting Journal

 

 

I've never painted the South Florida trees like the Royal Ponciannas, so this is my laughable first attempt. I won't give up. Eventually I will figure out the shape and correct colors. I'll probably have to do a bunch of them to get it right. Trees are hard. I am a north Florida painter. We don't really have tropical trees or plants here so they are a mystery to me. 

 

Pines

www.lindablondheim.com

Notes From My Tree Painting Journal

This is the year of pines for me in my tree journey. It happens like that for me. I'll end up focusing on a species of trees and become fixated on studying them for some time. I got really interested in the pines in the Wekiva State Park back in March and have been keen on them since. I'm not really sure why pine trees are less popular as a subject than live oak trees or bald cypress. I find them to be thrilling as subjects. Once a forest ranger and research biologist wrote to me and asked why other painters don't paint pines and I had no answer for her. I love them!

12x16

Oil on canvas

3.5x2.5 inch studies

Nice to be recognized

I was delighted to receive a two page spread in an area style magazine this month. My advanced copies were delivered to my studio today. A wonderful thing for a tree painter!

Bald Cypress is done

Co National Champion Bald Cypress

18x24 inches

Oil on canvas

Notes From My Tree Painting Journal

I finished this champion tree painting today in my town studio. It was a lot of fun and a challenge. This is the third in my series for the year, so I'm not making huge progress in numbers, but I certainly am enjoying the project. I plan to put together an exhibition in 2015 for the champion paintings, with a journal with my notes. It might make a nice book as well. I do tend to forget about the promotional aspect of these projects after I complete them because by then I have new projects to do.