Change of Scenery

A Change of Scenery is a painting that I really enjoyed working on in September of last year. I started with muslin which I covered with three coats of gesso. Then, able to work flat on my table, I used my hand carved soft blocks, and printed all over to create the fall leaves. I have used this same photo for at least two other paintings because it is so beautiful with its mixture of oranges, reds, golds and greens. The photo has a white birch in the foreground, and I had painted that birch in the other pieces. But, this one, I liked as it was with only the dark tree.

The more I lived with it, though, the less I liked the starkness of the cool yellow I had used so genrously. I wanted to warm the painting up. Finally, during repaint and refurbish season (going on now!), I have gotten it back off of the wall to play with. By now, of course, I have stretched it, so using my blocks on it is not as easy. For the changes, I used brushes instead.

I began to add warm reds and oranges and golds painting over or around the prints and shapes I had made earlier. Then I began to paint in a warm blue mixed with titanium white to create the open places you see through trees to the sky. I paint instinctively when I get going --it's really an exploration. I already don't like what is there, so it frees me to do whatever I think might make it a better painting.

I think I am done with it now--at least for this refurbishment season!

Change of Scenery, acrylic and printmaking, 28 x 29

Autumn Leaves II

This commission is complete, unless someone wants to give additional critique. The last steps of the painting were to add some leaf groupings. The leaves are really too far away to be seen individually, but we perceive them more as shapes and color. The birch tree was added in the front picture plane with its bright white look in the sunlight and gray shadows.

Progress on Portrait and Landscape

I've tweaked "Cutie-Pie" and gotten a more accurate photo of the actual colors in the portrait. I used Maimeri-blu oil paints in cadmium green, vermillion deep, cadmium orange, burnt sienna and burnt umber and Windsor blue, red shade, Grumbacher flake and titanium white.



The fall picture also got a second layer of color today. I'm using a similar palette to the portrait, with the addition of Windsor blue, green shade, Windsor yellow and permanent rose, and Maimeri-blu naples yellow. I also usually use flake white only when painting portraits because of its warmer tint for lighter skin types.

The next layer will likely be the last and will see the addition of more detail, including the birch tree in white and grays, which should stand off nicely in the foreground.