Showing posts with label Falling Snow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Falling Snow. Show all posts

Monday, January 7, 2013

"Knowing God"

($200.00......12" x 12".....Water Soluble Oils on a 1.50" depth Gessobord)

"Be still and know that I am God." This Bible verse is from Psalm 46:10. The piece is a 12" x 12" and created for an upcoming exhibit at Hill Country Bible Church NW. There is nothing quite like snow to indicate "stillness".  And being still is a prerequisite for knowing God.  (Look closely to see the quote inscribed in the snow.)

Those of you who follow this blog might remember that I did this same painting with a different quote as a 6" x 6". Doing it smaller first helped me to work out my values and techniques. Some things will change as the work goes larger. For one thing, it takes a lot more paint since this piece would be the equivalent of (4) 6" x 6"'s.

I used a larger glass palette which I think is the perfect surface for mixing up paint since the paint is much easier to remove than using a wooden palette. The hard surface is very important to me, but there are other artists who don't mind disposable palettes or stay wet palettes. I've tried them all and so if you have a desire to work with palette knife...I highly recommend a glass palette that is painted white on the flip side. You can also use regular glass and tape it to white foam core. (Just be sure to tape all of the edges since it will be very sharp.)

The dominant color in my photo reference of this piece was a "charcoal" looking gray in all of its tints and shades. However, I chose to lean my grays towards purple. The tree trunks are a deep purple and "grayed down" tints of purple were used for the sky and snow. Even the dark green trees were grayed down with purple. To me, it just gave the piece a bit more vibrancy than matching the colors of the photo precisely.

Another thing I learned about working larger, using a "wet into wet" technique, is to complete the painting all in the same day. Even coming back to it the next day will make a big difference. When that paint begins to set up, it is very difficult to paint over it using the same techniques as in the smaller versions. Fortunately, it did work out, but it would have made things much simpler to do it in one day.

If this is not possible, then paint enough of one area where you are not having to go back into that area. And those of you who are doing mixed media can greatly rejoice, because you can "string out" that process for days without consequence. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

"Focus on Beauty"

($40.00.....6" x 6".....Water Soluble Oils on Gessobord)

"Focus on beauty to achieve the best." There are only two things that pierce the heart...beauty and affliction. So far, I have never met a person who wants to focus on affliction. However, it is a fact of life that affliction happens and the more affliction we experience, the more beauty we need.

It is very clear to see in this painting that have a staggered tree line and trees that are in varying distances from the viewer creating a far more interesting scene than if everything were placed on the same horizon line. So this is something you might want to consider when choosing a good photo op or simply going outside and painting. 

Yesterday, I had the urge to swipe my palette knife across the entire painting. Today, I had the urge to write in the negative spaces. So after deciding that was my plan, I painted a darker, less intense purple over the entire piece. After painting a much lighter purple for the sky, I wrote the title of this piece with a Mitchell #6 nib. (for those who do not letter, this is a very small broad edged pen.) It will remove more of the paint than a pointed pen, so it is a good choice for inscribing into paint. Of course, the background trees covered part of the lettering, but there are still traces that give a sense of mystery to the viewer. It's like hiding a surprise within the painting. 

You have the option of making the inscription really stand out by increasing the contrast between the first and second layer of paint or by making it subtle by decreasing the value between the two layers. It's a fun possibility to explore and it is definitely the direction I want to pursue. There is also lettering in the foreground snow, but it was a bit too prominent so a swiped over part of it with my palette knife. Again, it creates a sense of mystery and a bit of texture.

And of course, the entire quote is inscribed vertically along the right side. The other interesting thing about this piece is selecting the values for the trees. We all know they are green, but obviously, they are a very low intensity green. I used a lot of the "grayed purple" to knock down the green intensity and have a happy marriage between the trees, sky, and snow. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

"Internal Combustion"

(sold)

"The internal combustion of the heart creates heat." This quote can be interpreted several different ways so I will let you decide.

The motivation to paint another snow scene from Flagstaff was inspired by our own weather here in Austin. It is not hard to imagine that we could see snow falling in the midst of temperatures in the 20's.  I will go with the odds. It probably will not snow so I will paint it and pretend. Of course, those who live in it all winter would probably like to trade places with those of us who live in the South.

In this piece, it looks like the snow was falling after a previous snowfall since the foreground has little or no snow. Once again, I am vitally interested in the foreground since it creates depth and interest in landscape painting. The shapes in this particular piece are very fascinating and contrast beautifully with each other. So it is worth repeating that all paintings are made up of shapes. And the more varied and interesting they are...the chances of creating a better painting will increase. 

Finding these kind of photos requires taking a lot of pictures...much more than you will ever need. You will also learn what types of compositions appeal to you personally. That's why it is important to paint from your own photo references or better yet...paint on location. A strategy that I have been using is to have a pocket camera in my purse. That way, you will always be ready to "snap" that special shot. My friend, Sue, actually inspired me to do this. I was always impressed to see her "whip" out her camera at the optimum time.

Beyond all of that, it is simply important to paint or sculpt, or create a mosaic, or mixed media piece, or anything else that you feel compelled to do and do it regularly. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.


Tuesday, December 25, 2012

"Peace"

($40.00......6" x 6"....Water Soluble Oils on Gessobord)

"Let the snow fall in your heart with peace." Snow falling makes no sound. A peaceful heart allows the silence to come and listens to the still, quiet voice of God.  Merry Christmas!

In the scene from yesterday, the near blizzard conditions were at their peak. In the piece today, the snow was still falling, but the trees were more visible and the sky had a bit of a glow. Both photos came from Flagstaff, Az.

The sgraffito technique was very much in play in both of these pieces. In fact, I think about it everyday since my quote is inscribed into the paint. This same technique can easily be applied to mixed media. When painting with acrylic paint or laying down Speedball Printing Ink, a pen or anything else with a rigid point can be used to scratch into the surface. If I am scratching into an acrylic painted surface (almost dry), I dip my pen in alcohol to reveal the previous layer. If I am writing or scratching into Printing Ink, I use water or alcohol.

You could actually create an entire line drawing with this technique and a pointed or broad edged pen. The thinner the paint or printing ink, the easier it will be. These techniques will be reappearing in my mixed media work very soon. My desire is to continue with oil painting, but also keep the mixed media pieces going as well. I have now painted (68) small palette knife paintings, so it won't be too long before I hit the (100) mark.

So my encouragement is to do something with your art everyday in the coming year. Do it intentionally and it will soon become intuitive. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

Monday, December 24, 2012

"Silent and Peaceful"

(sold)

"There is nothing quite as silent and peaceful as snow falling." It is Christmas Eve and we rarely have snow in Austin so I decided to bring it visually. Hopefully, all of us can experience silence and peace as we reflect on the birth of Christ.

The reference photo for this piece was taken in Flagstaff, Az. The pictures I took that day are the only really good ones I have of snow falling and large trees gracing the landscape. It was quite a surprise the day we went through Flagstaff because we traveled from Sedona where it was sunny, cold, and clear to a virtual blizzard. These cities are only about 30 miles apart, but the elevation makes quite a difference.  

It is always a bit of a challenge to paint snow scenes and keep them interesting because there is so much "gray". I opted to lean my grays towards the purple side so I used Alizarin Crimson, Ult. Blue, and Cad. Yellow Light to create most of the grays in this landscape. The "grayed down" purple plus a lot of white created a soft lavender which gives a bit of life to the background. 

To create the falling snow, I used the old trick of diluting the paint (with medium and water) and splattered the piece with this mixture and a toothbrush. This technique accomplished the goal and brought back the only memory I have of Flagstaff and "near blizzard" conditions.

If you've never painted snow, it helps to know that it is much more than painting white out of the tube. That's generally considered a "no-no" and only whites with the tint of another color are used. Of course you can see that it looks like white, but the reality is that there are at least three or four different tints + white that created the snow. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.