Backyard Light

Here's the latest...

Backyard Light
16" x 20", oil on masonite

Solace

Solace
16" x 20", oil on masonite

Last Light

Painted this one over an old work that stunk horribly. Glad I did it.

Last Light
20" x 24", oil

Mr. Carson and Waterview

Here are two more recent paintings.

Mr. Carson
12" x 9", oil

Waterview
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Acrylic Sketches

Here are a few sketches in acrylic I've done over the past couple of days. I really like to stay very loose and almost abstract with these.

Recent Paintings

Self Portrait with Head Covering

A quick 30 minute self portrait done before class tonight.

12" x 9", oil

Recent Still Life Paintings

Here are some still life paintings along with a couple of plein airs and a studio landscape.

Touching Up A Plein Air Piece

I know there are purists out there that swear to never touch their plein air pieces once they finish on site. I am not one of them. I normally don't do much, if anything, to a painting I've completed outdoors, but sometimes there are issues that need to be addressed. The whole point of being a painter is create good art. If you create bad art and blame it on painting outside, maybe you need to stay in the studio. Just a thought.

Yesterday I painted on a cold and very windy day. I tromped through mud and a lot of cow manure and finally found a spot I liked, that I thought I could design into artistic satisfaction. This painting is smaller than most of my plein air work, at 12" x 9", but it took just as long as my normal 16" x 20 or 18" x 24".  About 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

My subject was a tree with missing bark sitting next to a small stream. The stream is located down in a gully as it flows between steep banks on one side and a sloping hillside on the other. I stood on a narrow path used by cattle and carefully tried to keep my feet out of the large gifts they had left behind.

I approached this painting as I do almost every one. I tone the canvas to knock down the white and proceed to quickly sketch in the elements of the painting with a thinned dark color. Always looking to design from the information in front of me. I then move around the canvas adding color in what I hope is the appropriate spot and value.

The cold wind helped me finish up. When my toes get cold it can break my concentration, in my head I keep thinking, "Man! I wish my feet were warm. My fingers are cold and hurt. waaa...waaa...waa..." You get the idea. I didn't anticipate how cold it was going to be and didn't wear the right boots.

I'm posting before and after pics of the painting below. You will notice a slight color/temperature change in the pics due to photographing one outside and one in the studio.

Below is the painting as I left the location.

Below is the painting after touching up in the studio this morning.

One of the main differences you'll notice is the deletion of some of the ugly, quickly applied branches protruding from the subject tree. I also touched up the bark and peeled areas on the tree trunk, and added some moss to the tree and surrounding areas. I cleaned up some background areas and worked the light against dark contrasts, all in an effort to make the tree the focal point and everything else supporting cast.

I hope this was informative and not too dreadfully boring for you. Thanks for reading my blog, I appreciate it very much.

A few recent ones...

Here are a few paintings from the last week or so.

The top one is a self portrait I did before work one morning. 12 x 9, oil. The next one down is a spittoon I painted very quickly. 9 x 12, oil. The next one is a 20 x 16 plein air piece I did this past weekend. And the last one is one I painted in the studio.

Soggy Bottom Blues

Today I painted in the rain. No stickin', pansy shelter for me. Just an umbrella for the canvas and paint, a good hat and raincoat and I was set. Other than this lingering cold it was all fun. Still can't figure out why I can't kick this cold bug. ;)

Soggy Bottom Blues
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Rainy 19th Hole

I went out and painted in the rain today. Well, actually I stood under a picnic shelter next to the Pro Shop at Dale Hollow Lake Golf Course. Painted this one and a smaller one of a different view at the same time. I've been wanting to try this for some time, and it was not easy. The smaller one got wiped. Twice. I'll try it again, just with more planning involved next time.

Rainy 19th Hole
16" x 20, oil, plein air

New Painting Group Blog

Hello everyone. I've started a new painting group in south central Kentucky called the Kentucky Outdoor Painters Society. I'd appreciate it if you could go there and click the follow button.

KOPS blog

Thanks! Bill

A few recent paintings...

Limestone Christmas

Here's a pic of me by the easel so you can see the size of the painting. Also a pic of the painting. Not the best, will try to get a better picture later. A little over 3 hours painting time.

Limestone Christmas
30" x 40", oil, plein air

 

Languid Morning for Bovine

Started this one on site then finished up in the studio.

Languid Morning for Bovine
24" x 24", oil on wood

Winter Blues

Painted in the rain today, and did this one in under an hour. Rain makes me more impressionistic. :)

Winter Blues
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Dutch Creek

Can't believe it's December 1st! The weather in south central Kentucky was beautiful this morning. I painted outside starting about 8:30 or 9:00 am. No jacket, just a long sleeve shirt, and I was plenty warm. I passed this house the other day, noticed the sun hitting it, and told myself that I'd come back on Saturday if the sun was out. I'm glad I did. All you folks that passed by and waved or honked your horn, stop and talk to me sometime. I don't mind a bit.

Dutch Creek
16" x 20", oil, stretched linen

Village

Did this small knife painting for the December Virtual Paintout.

Village
5" x 7", oil, palette knife

Self Portrait 11-29-12 - Zorn Palette

Did this quick self portrait this morning before work. About an hour painting time. Used a Zorn type palette of Ivory Black, Golden Ochre, Quinacridone Red, and Titanium White. I like working with this limited palette. Very rich looking colors.

Self Portrait 11-29-12 ~ Zorn Palette
12" x 9", oil