Doing the Dreaded Landscape

Of all the subjects available to paint, trees and scenes are my least favorite. I am able to paint a resemblance of a person, but my trees are flat, like photos.

This painting is using a photo reference I've been carrying around for years. The various blue colors in the water are what attracted me to it in the first place. It seemed time to include a landscape, and so I began. I decided to leave out one of the trees in the center group and made some other minor changes from the photo reference. The first work day was spent drawing and blocking in some water color. I also scrubbed in some light color designed to be behind the trees and light blue sky color, knowing both would almost be covered by the end of the painting.

The second session was spent painting trees, and some of the dark water, along with dark tree leaves. At this point all the tree leaves are just pieces of color, no individual branches or leaves are picked out.

Third and fourth attempts were for refining various sections of the painting. After each session I have a week of looking at it at home to see what needs fixing or changing. I make notes of this and tuck into the back of the painting, because at this time of my life, I can't count on my memory. Some of the things I changed were the shadows in the water, and bringing more light onto the tree on the left, and glazing down the tree on the right to push it back. Then last few things I did were add more tree limbs, more leaf patterns and light to the water.

I'm fairly satisfied with the outcome of "Cool Water". My mother has claimed it for her sitting room.

Digital Matchmaking

The new trend of computer matchmaking and dating has both pros and cons, it seems to me. A sort of cut and dried approach to an emotional situation. What has happened to the glance across a crowded room? the electric current when hands touch for the first time? those stolen kisses while dancing? Where has romance in general gone? Do we not have time for it in our rushing to and fro existance? Where is the anguish of wanting to be noticed by that hot guy who doesn't know you exist? Or avoiding the nerd who is obsessed with you?

On the other hand, arranged marriages go back generations, and many have been successful love matches. There are circumstances where outsiders or parents have a better eye for the situation than the two who are matched. My own grandmother married a man she had only seen twice, and met through an ad placed in the newspaper saying he wished to meet a young lady of good family and had matrimony in mind. Theirs was a wonderful marriage, and even tho she was only 56 when he died, she never looked or thought about another man.

But those who do ads on matchmaking sights may be missing out on 'love at first sight'. Certainly the old 'don't have a date' or 'where shall I go to find Mr. Right tonight?' won't be missed. What chances do those who are not quick with words or good truth embellishers have to meet a really great person on-line? Words can be misunderstood without body language and facial expressions to help interpret. When romance is based on one or two photos, it's hard to think it might be the lasting kind. Matches based on long questionaires and essay type profiles stand a better chance.

And yet, thousands of couples have met this way. One of my close friends met her husband on the internet and they've been married about 10 years now, and doing well. When she told me, I thought "oh yeah." Then I met the intelligent, good looking, thoughtful, caring hunk at the wedding.

Lots of lonely people out there - why not have someone weed out the not-so-goods before you even meet them. Wonder what the protocol is to discern drunks, womanizers and wife beaters?

Butterflies Needed

Looking out the patio door this afternoon, I spied a happy little yellow butterfly flitting along the fence looking for nectar. It's path darted up, down, to the side, in and out of the hurricane fence. It dawned on me that the large Lepidoptera of my childhood are seldom seen anymore. The swallowtails and Monarchs with all their bright colors and lazy flight patterns are becoming more and more rare.

For a biology project one year I captured many different species and pinned them to the white organdy curtains in my bedroom until they disintegrated. Learning their Latin and common names was fun. One of my first oil paintings was a small study of a Monarch butterfly and a puddle.

Severe rainstorms, droughts, temperature changes, pesticides, pollution and loss of habitat are killing these beautiful creatures who bring such a great feeling when you see them. Many studies are being done by universities and biology labs to help the disappearing butterfly.

There are some things any person can do to help the dwindling Lepodoptera population. You can purchase butterfly larva and release the hatchlings into your own backyard. If you provide them with the right kind of plants you will be able to enjoy them all summer. Hostas, Penta, Lantana and Passion Vine are good domesticated plants with lots of nectar to attract butterflies.

Thinging of all the pleasure I had as a youngster chasing and watching the swallowtails and skippers, the urge to release some butterflies next summer are strong. We already have some Lantana in the yard.

The Butterfly

The last, the very last,So richly, brightly,

dazzlingly yellow.

Perhaps if the sun's tears would sing against a white stone...

Such, such a yellowIs carried lightly way up high

It went away I' m sure because it wished to kiss the world goodbye

.For seven weeks I've lived in here,

Penned up inside this ghetto

but I have found my people here

The dandelions call to me

And the white chestnut candles in the court.

Only I never saw another butterfly.

That butterfly was the last one,

Butterflies don't live in here,

In the ghetto.

Pavel Friedmann

Final Version

It's always a good feeling when you've completed a project, and I'm not one to niggle a painting to death, so I'm calling this one finished. In the case of this study of the school girl, I had specific goals in mind, and at this point believe I've accomplished them.

Worked on the study about two hours today. Darkened the bottom, glazing both the background and the sleeves of her blouse, so they don't lead you out of the canvas. I added some cad orange highlights to the top and right bottom side of the hat, and some cad yellow highlights to the left side. Painted a few straggles of hair on the left side, and added a string tie to the neck of the blouse to break up the white. I softened and lightened the shadow of the hat on her brow, and added a little blush to her cheeks. A detail or two to the eyes with a very small brush and then signed my name. We'll talk about signatures in another post.

As I posted in earlier blog, this painting was born in frustration at what I considered poor judging and the award of best of show to a poor painting. My subject matter is similar, and I tried to correct the mistakes I saw in the exhibit painting. You would like to see the original painting that brought up such feelings in me, but there is no way I can post photo. I don't know the artist or the judge, so am being strickly objective here. This was an interesting project to me, and I'd appreciate comments. Lately it's been hard to get interested in painting, so all in all, this is a successful project. It's not a masterpiece, but served its purpose, and when it dries, I will list it on ebay, and see if I can get a few bucks for it.

Reworking figural Painting

During the week between the first work on the figural painting and the second effort, I made a list of things that needed changing. This is my normal procedure. Paintings get too wet during a session and changes are impossible to make correctly, so I prefer to wait a few days.

This session, approximately and hour and a half, I repainted both eyes, making them the same size, and trying to get the same expression. I find in a portrait type painting, this is the most important feature. If the eyes are right, you can skate on some of the other features.

I adjusted the cheeks - making the one on the right fuller, and cutting a hair off the one on the left. The line of the face was also extended outward on the right as well as the line of the next, giving her a more substantial look. The mouth was mostly repainted, softening the line somewhat. The shadow from the brim of the hat on the forehead was repainted, but still needs some work. During the next few days I will try to sort out what to do to it.

Shadows on the blouse were darkened with a cobalt blue glaze, leaving only one patch of lighter white. One of the main things I wanted to avoid, was having the white of the shirt take away from the face.

The lighter green on the left background was brought behind the neck to the right side. You should never let a light be totally cut off on one side, but carry some of it behind the central object. The same holds true with the dark colors of the background.

During the next session I plan to add a string tie at the neck of the blouse, work on the shadow on the forehead, indicate some straggly hairs at least on the light side of her hair, add some lines of orange and green to the jumper to suggest plaid, and perhaps glaze the entire bottom portion with some dark. Last of all some strong highlights will be added to the hat and face. Then we will have a critique in our group to see if further changes are needed. I expect to finish in the next session.

First Session on Figural Study

After a three-hour session with brushes and paint, the subject is beginning to take shape on a 10x12 canvas. Normally I'd take time to prime the canvas with grey acrylic outside house paint, but since time was a constraint, this painting was begun on the plain white canvas, just as it came from the art supply store.Where two lines bisect from corner to corner is where I placed the chin of the young girl. I kept the colors dark, although they are brighter and clearer than those in the BOS painting discussed earlier. The background is almost pure sap green on the left and I added alizarin crimson to that for the brownish color on the right. This is in keeping with my plan to have the light coming from the left side. The hat is that same mixture lightened with a little cad red, and then lightened again with cad yellow.

To make a more interesting composition I squared off the yoke of the jumper and painted it in alizarin crimson with a touch of cobalt for purplish shadows. This same mixture was lightened with a bit of Permalba white for the high lights. Next week I plan to add very small lines of green, orange and yellow to make a plaid pattern.

The shirt is off-white with a touch of cobalt and perhaps a touch of alizarin for the shadows. It still seems too 'white' so I will glaze it down next week. A string tie will be added at the neck in a dark color.

Skin begins in the shadows with a mixture of alizarin, sap and cad red. This is my normal start for skin. For each lighter tone I add white and perhaps a little more red. The lightest lights have yet to be added.

In the next session I will make all of the above changes, plus work on the eyes and recheck the hat shadow on the face.

So far, I'm happy with my efforts.

Beginning A Painting

The thought processes in beginning a painting may vary from month to month. In this case, I'm inspired by the poor quality of the Best of Show painting discussed in the last column. Several important things were lacking with it, so I feel compelled to attempt a better figural painting.

Located this early photo of a young school girl, which has the same feel as the painting in the show. There are several things I will change from the photo. The blouse will be white, although not stark white; the jumper will have a vee or a square yoke in the front making the composition more interesting and I will add a hat. Also the lights will be painted more pronounced and I will crop the picture at the bottom. The changes have been sketched in.

This will not be a large painting, 11x14 or 10x12 is a good size.

As in the offering at the exhibit I will use muted colors, mostly greens and browns. Check back for progress.