"Everybody knows a work of art takes at least an hour!" Lucy to Linus, (Peanuts)

FineArtViews Painting Competition - Twice in the Fav 15%

http://canvoo.com/boldbrush/badge/13203 three times selected for FAV15%, Fine Art Views Bold Brush Painting Competition

Friday, September 14, 2012

Delving back into the fray


              I am the champion procrastinator at times but finally I started on the painting for the Cortes Children's Forest fund a couple of days ago. My start is ok but now what? Landscape painting is not my cup of tea and so I will probably be struggling with this as I add more layers. Just looking at things as shapes and values is helping so I need to plunge in and get some real colour on this baby.

              My week has not been a total waste of time,however. I caught up on paperwork, housework, laundry, and cleaning up the studio. After the weeks I spent silk painting my dress I returned to find stuff everywhere! I am normally a fairly neat worker but my frenzy to complete the outfit in time overcame my natural tendency to clean up as I go along. Now all is in reasonable order again and that provides peace of mind for me to at last delve back into painting. I even rearranged paintings on the walls.




              There is good news regarding my upcoming Portrait Workshop...so far I have five students! There was a sixth but she backed out yesterday because she realized some of us (including me) will be using oil paint and she has a very strong allergy to oils, even when working outdoors anywhere near an oil painter. I have looked at her work and I know I could  help her with what she is doing, but I also completely understand her problem. I have allergies to many strong odors, although not as bad now as when I was younger so she has to do what is best for her health. Maybe I could work out a future workshop for portraits in acrylics, since so many people use those. I used to paint with acrylics but don't really think they are as wonderful for subtle shifts, blending, and luminosity as oil paints. What about water soluble oils? I have some that I bought a few years ago when they first came on the market and hated them. I am told there are better ones out there now that really are much closer to the feel of regular oils. Perhaps I should try a few colours, just primaries and black and white, and see how I feel about them now. I wouldn't mind a bit if I could put solvents, even the pretty good odorless ones, (my favorite being Gamsol), out of my studio permanently.

3 comments:

  1. Good Morning "You"... Good girl... getting back to your painting!


    "I'm no landscape painter"... doesn't fly with me m'lady! Your sketch outline is marvellously rich in possibility... even without colour!

    Get the colours out... and slap 'em in!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    NBRuce

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  2. Interesting to read your thoughts, Karen. And your studio is marvelous!! Your landscape is starting out amazing and I find myself just plain old jealous that I can't paint like you and all my other artist bloggers that I follow. Sigh...

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  3. Crimson, I hope you have read my pep talk on your page, so I will leave it at that...I'm very happy you and I are becoming friends:-)
    Bruce, thanks again for your undying support:-) As I pointed out in today's post I realize that painting is just painting, whatever the subject. I need to get rid of this mental block regarding landscapes. Today I did, indeed, "slap" colours in! I had to rein in the urge to go back in with a teeny brush and correct all the edges, etc. Trying very hard just to have fun with this and not be too picky!

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