"Fresh Air"

(sold)

"Fresh air is best at the top of the mountain." Taking a walk is always a refreshing thing to do, but a walk in the mountains is the best. The air is crisp and the temperature is generally cool even in the summer. Now I'm not talking about our little hills in central Texas. I'm talking about very high elevations...as in the Great Smokey Mountains!

One of the other issues any artist faces when painting in oils, acrylics, watercolor, etc. is the paints they use. Even though I know several artists who work with one red, one yellow, one blue, and white...I have chosen a double palette. My oil palette includes Cad. Lemon...Cad. Yellow...Alizarin Crimson...Cad. Red Med...Ultramarine Blue...Phtalo Blue...and White.

This will keep the color harmony in tact, but of course, there are other things to know (which I am still learning) and that is the attributes of color. An artist must learn to identify the root color of any color they see in the landscape and then determine if it has been diluted or "grayed down" and where it falls on the value scale. And that root color is always going to be one of the (12) colors on the color wheel.  

It sounds so easy until you find yourself staring at a blank canvas. The only way to learn these things is to actually do them. Painting "en plein air" is the best way, but that is sometimes impossible, especially if you are in a populated area or there is no place to set up an easel. I am still amazed that the human eye can see so much more than a camera can pick up.

Never the less, the only way to progress is to actually pick up the brush or palette knife and actually do something. And of course, you need to tell your internal critic to be quiet while you work. 

I have now painted approximately (10) paintings with a palette knife and I am told that the first (100) are the real warm up. So don't be discouraged, but join me as I press on towards my first (100). And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"By The Creek"

($100.00.....6" x 6".....painted on a gessobord...presented in a frame)


"A morning by the creek is perfect!" Getting outdoors early in the morning is a special treat. It's even better when painting with friends. This particular scene was painted at Brushy Creek here in Austin.

So often I feel like I sound like a broken record when repeating that it takes a spontaneous technique to get a spontaneous result. Such is the case in this piece. This is an oil painting created with a palette knife. It can be very tempting to pick up a brush, but perseverance will be rewarded if you don't.

The quote is inscribed into the right hand edge going up the side vertically. I used a toothpick to write the quote. The lack of detail and erratic marks are the charming things about this technique.

Once again, attention has to be paid to division of space and values. When painting wet-into-wet it is important not to lay down too much paint in the first layer. It is also important to lay down a stroke and leave it alone. Colors will become muddy and lose their sparkling appearance if you keep "fussing". This type of painting is all about capturing the "essence" of something and then leaving it alone. It did help me to work with a double palette of warm and cool colors. I still have a lot of practice to do with the palette knife, but a girl has to start somewhere! Just playing around with this method of application will give you lots of fun and lots of erratic edges. Just something you might want to try or think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.