Fun in Elkins, WV

My life is almost back to normal after five days in Elkins, WV, home of Davis & Elkins College. On the first day, after a 4 1/2 hour drive through the winding narrow mountain roads, I judged the Randolph County Community Arts Council 7th Annual Gala Art Exhibition. For the next two days, I gave a workshop on the basics of painting classical still life. There were twelve workshop participants at all levels, working in oil and watercolor.

On the fourth day, I went painting with my host and several other painters from the workshop and the RCCAC. It was a gorgeous day, slight breeze, and lots of sun. Early mornings in the mountains tend to be very foggy, so we didn't get to our location until 9:30 a.m. We were in Montrose, a little crossroads about eight miles north of Elkins. According to the map, the Appalachian Trail goes right by where we painted.

On the fifth day, I drove home, again on those treacherous mountain roads and battling Hurricane Hanna.

The above painting is 12 x 16, and entitled Montrose Valley. I was unable to finish it on location, so I finished it today in the studio with the help of some photos that I took. I like the painting and it was fun to do! Lots of contrast and rich colors!

Plein Air Easton

Instead of showing you another painting in progress, I want to change the thrust of my blog. Painting is a lot of fun and I want to share some of that fun with you.

I was juried into the prestigious 4th Annual Plein Air Easton, July 21 through 27, in Easton, Maryland. There were 57 artists from all over the country: artists from California, Texas, Florida, New York, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, etc. Of course, there were many Maryland artists.


The gist of the competition is to complete two competition paintings in four days, en plein air. These paintings are judged on the fifth day, wet paint and all. My competition paintings are shown here.

But there was much more to Paint Easton than the competition. There were lectures, programs, demonstrations, dinners, parties, auctions, and scintillating camaraderie. There were lunches in "dark caves" to rest our eyes blinded by the sun. All in all, it was a fabulous week. I not only had fun and learned a lot, I had a ball!

Signs of Spring, step 10

Another finish!



I kept looking at the "finished painting" and knew there was something about it that I didn't like. It took me weeks to figure out that it was the vase. Instead of a vase, I had selected a small-necked bottle into which I had stuffed lots of daffodils. The end result was a pinched, constricted feeling. It made me uncomfortable...I kept wanting to fluff the flowers.

Scouring my still life "stuff" again for a blue vase, I found this pitcher that had been hiding in a dark corner where I had overlooked it when I originally set up the still life.

I photographed the painting, printed out several copies and went to work. With gouache (opaque watercolor), I painted the blue pitcher on a print, which I had adhered to a board. Then I cut some daffodils out of the other prints and arranged them. When I got them where I was satisfied, I made the changes on the painting.

To make it easier to compare, below is the painting before I changed it.



Notice that three daffodils remain in the same place. I moved and repainted three others and added one hanging over the blue pitcher. Now I am back to seven flowers...an odd number always being better than an even number. I also put cast shadows on the back apricots and put more shadows on the daffodils.

I took out some of the nandina because I thought there were too many spikes, and I added two daffodil leaves.

More and more as I paint I understand how much our choices influence the success or failure of a painting. It's all about composition.

I have also changed the title to "Daffodils and Apricots."

Yellow Roses, step 5

Painting more leaves and background



Now that I have decided on the color combination for the leaves, I filled in around the top right rose. Then I refined and repainted the leaves that were already there. I don't want to get too picky...just enough detail to say they are rose leaves.

I'm still not finished...this is quite tedious. I want all the leaves to make sense, and I realize at this point that all of them are facing toward me. So I will photograph more leaves from the underneath side so that some of them will be facing away from the viewer. It will make for a more interesting painting.

I have considered bringing the roses into the studio, as they are still in pots. But I hesitate because I don't know what kind of bugs I might be bringing in along
with them. It sure would be easier, though, if the bushes were in front of me.

Yellow Roses, step 4

Painting more leaves and background



Once I got some background and leaves in, I decided that I didn't really like the rose on the left with it's stupid looking petal. After searching my photos some more, I found this rose, which is really stunning.

I added a small bud setting off the larger roses. I painted more leaves...trying numerous color combinations for my greens. I have finally settled on using Gamblin's chromatic black and cadmium yellow light, producing a low-key green. Using the chromatic black is a lot safer than using ivory black, which can crack if used in large quantities. When I paint the dark leaves, there's a lot of black in the mixture.

My background is primarily ultramarine blue and burnt sienna with some splashes of cadmium red light giving it an illusion of transparency.

Yellow Roses, step 3

Painting more roses



After studying the arrangement of roses, I realized that I had inadvertantly arranged them in a circle with a hole in the center. So I rearranged them, added another one, and the flow is much more pleasing.

I added a bud and a small rose to the bottom, trying to make sure that the distances were unequal.

It was time to paint some leaves and background. It was getting very complicated and confusing, since I am working from photos.

Yellow Roses, step 2

Painting the roses



I started with the larger roses, and because they are past their prime, they are a bit whiter than the other roses. I painted them alla prima using a lot of pale yellow and pink, and added lavender for the shadow tones. I premix the pale yellow from white and cadmium yellow light, and the pink from white, quinacridone red, and a smidge of cadmium red light.

The images are on my laptop, which I have positioned near my easel. My roses aren't precisely the same as the photos, but close. I didn't trace them, but drew them as I saw them.

Since I have not planned this painting out 100%, I am hoping that these roses will be in the right place. Thoroughly planning my paintings is not one of my strong points. I always say I'll do better on the next one.