My Bird island Tree Painting Adventure

Tree Paintings

Notes From My Tree Journal

I've been on the road for most of October, doing two paint outs. One was at Bird Island one of my two favorite painting places. It is a privately owned island that I don't often get to go to. I do have a residency scheduled there in April of 2013 for my Artist in Residence Project. When I was there a couple of weeks ago for three days, I discovered this sweet little Red Cedar Tree. The light was wonderful on it both behind and in front, so I enjoyed an hour of painting to study it. I can't remember when I have enjoyed a painting session more. I was able to get about 50 reference photos to sort through. I should be able to get some very nice paintings from the trip in studio. This little plein air painting will be a study note for me. I bought two very large canvases with tree paintings in mind for them when I get off the road for November and December.

Painting Masses of Trees

Tree Paintings

Notes From My Tree Painting Journal

Though I paint a lot of single trees, I also love to paint masses of trees. More difficult to me. Massed trees behave differently. They tend to fight for space. Here in Florida I notice that there is a dark rich value to the lower areas of massed trees. The tops fight for the sun and late in the day the light bounces around the edges and the tops creating bands of ochre and orange along the tops. You have this wonderful combination of deep cool green gradually becoming very warm and light in bands across the top. In the winter months I see lots of red in the trunks as well as purple and blue.The color palette in Florida during the winter is lush and subtle. WONDERFUL!!!

I'm teaching a plein air workshop in February of 2013 during the best part of the winter tree palette season here in north Florida. HERE I have nine spaces left.

Serenity oak

Tree Paintings

Notes From My Tree Painting Journal

This is my second painting of this beautiful tree. I sold the first one recently, so now I get to study it some more. This one is 24x24 inches on stretched canvas. This is a difficult tree to paint. There are so many parts to the trunk and the splits are quite low.

My Palette:

cad orange

cad yellow medium

cad lemon yellow

mars black

titanium white

ultramarine blue

trans red iron oxide

It was great fun and it took me three sessions to finish it.

Live Oak Trees

Tree Paintings

Notes From my Tree Painting Journal

This is a scene from beautiful Fair Oaks in Evinston Florida. I love the way the branches dip down from the tree forming lovely arches. Sometimes the canopies run along the ground from these low branches. They form natural portals.

This painting is 20x24 inches, oil on canvas.

The palette:

cad lemon yellow

Naples yellow light

ub

thalo blue red shade

cad red light

ivory black

titanium white

I really enjoyed doing this painting.

Tree Workshop,tree studies

Tree Paintings

Notes From My Tree Journal

I've been quite busy getting my materials ready for my Tree Workshop in November. The workshop is full but I'm starting a list for a second group for another workshop.  We will be focusing on Pines/Live Oaks/Bald Cypress/Palms for this workshop. They are all indigenous to this part of Florida and I love to paint them. I've been doing a lot of miniature tree studies this month. This is how I teach myself to paint. I do hundreds of these studies on various subjects year round. Here is a sample:

I made myself a template out of index paper. I buy the pads of canvas paper and tear off the binding. I cut the sheets into 8.5x11 and run them through my printer to copy the template onto the sheets. I do the sheet in one piece and then cut the paintings out using the guidelines. You could use oils, but for these I use acrylics. Here is a tip. Use glazing medium with a pale color tint to cover the sheet before you paint. The canvas paper will take the paint much easier when you are ready to paint. I like to use toned canvas. You can use any color your prefer. I usually use cad red light. 

Live Oak on Fair Oaks Pond

Tree Paintings

Notes From My Tree Journal

This pond has been dry for about two years. It finally filled again after tropical storm Debbie arrived in June. I have painted this tree many times and am very fond of it. It is quite large and has a wonderful leaning shape, making it very interesting as a subject for painting. We are in the dog days of summer now and I have just returned from a week long residency on the Nature Coast of Florida. In a couple of weeks I will have time to do another tree painting. It has been a busier summer than I expected and the time is slipping by. I want to do a tree painting on a wooden table or bench soon and will show that to you shortly. 

Fair Oaks Live Oak Trees

Tree Paintings

Notes From My Tree Painting Journal

I took my time on this painting. I've been working on it for a couple of hours at a time. I think I still want to consider the lower part of trunk in the most forward tree. It is not quite right, now that I look at it online. A quick fix will work.

I've been doing some paintings on tables this summer and I'm ready to do a nice tree painting on my next table. That will be a lot of fun. Most nature lovers are crazy about wonderful trees. That will be my next project.

I need to take some time to start getting ready for my tree workshop in November. We are going to paint Live Oak, Bald Cypress, Pine and Palm. Those are four of my favorite trees.