When we were in Canada a few years ago we visited Forget Me Not Lake. We had a picnic with Luke’s family. I was enamored with the color of this little lake. It was more turquoise than the waters of the gulf. I am trying to capture that color in this painting. Not finished yet. This one is a tester. I started using my rolled canvas, just cutting pieces and painting. This way I can easily store my test/experiment pieces and do not feel like I must “fix” a painting to be perfect due to the cost of the stretched canvas panel. Learn something and move on. I can stop at any point and start a new one. If I really like something I can do another one. Of course, they are never the same.
So, I am free from concentrating on the final outcome and can enjoy the creative process. Creating what I like and not what I think someone else would like.
Current Location: Waterside Studios
Now that I have good lighting I am trying some color studies. I started with a very neutral background and a white box. Henry Hensche studied/taught color his whole painting career. It is very difficult and takes much training to actually be able to paint the colors you see and not what you think you see. I have attached a photo of my composition and three tries at this. The first two were too bright/yellow in the background, so I added blue, but too much blue. Fine line between actual and something else. Great exercise. I also discovered that the sheets I thought were green are actually a very muted yellow. Who knew???
If I was practicing music the color studies are like the scales and technical exercises you practice to warm up and improve your technique. Now that I have warmed up… on to a landscape painting.
Fishing during painting breaks. Caught a catfish threw into crab pot.
Oh baby, I finally received my new studio lights. Who knew lights could give someone such a rush. I can now paint any time without the restriction of actually day light. My studio is not well lit but has great windows. When I was not working fulltime this was all I needed. Once I started working, I found my painting time restricted to weekend day light hours. My weekends also include fishing and sailing, so painting was getting squeezed.
When I first started painting, lighting did not matter. I had no idea how to mix colors or that I should. Let’s just say that made for some brightly colored pieces right out of the tube that were even brighter when I took them out of my deemly lit basement. I am still challenged by mixing colors, but at least I know that I should knock back the chroma a bit and work under good color lighting.
4:30 am – Getting in some painting before work.
(Anita P – this on is for you. Did not want you to think I never posted here.)
I worked on this one a little more putting in more highlight and shadow. It is a WIP. Will eventually do a painting once I figure out how to draw it. 🙂
Starting my day thinking about flowers. I am taking an online class for painting luminous flowers. Starting at the beginning just trying to draw one that is not too flat looking. This will take some practice to learn how to SEE the actual shadows/shapes. My brain gets in the way and thinks it knows what it sees. But it is wrong. I need more mind control or less. Ha!
Probably if I had never seen a flower before and tried to draw it, it would be easier.
– Brenda
Aiming for creative authenticity.
Where have you gone? Sometimes you just feel like you are missing something or someone. It is one of those days.
I have submitted two pieces for the Top of the Class Show. These files have been sent to the juror, who will decide which of the 96 pieces of art submitted will be in the show. There will only be 36 chosen. Wish me luck! Below are the two pieces I entered.
Poppy surfing Through Purple Haze
Penny for Your Thoughts
I updated this little guy. He certainly makes me smile. Looking forward to doing some more guineas.
Oh No! Watch out for the Hummingbird. Just when you think you are surfing thru life in your little bubble, someone wants to burst it!
Not done with this one yet. Still have some details to perfect, because it must be perfect PerFect PERFECT. So, how do you make imagination perfect? Hmmm?? My mom taught me how to sew and I had to make most of my own clothes. She made me sew perfect or I had to rip out the stitches and start over. Maybe this is why I usually want to stop just short of being finished with anything due to fear of it being wrong and needing to start over. I could call this painting done now, but am driven once again to perfection.
Did you know that the reflections in bubbles are not the same as reflections in a drop of water. Also, bubble reflections are full of the color of the rainbow, water is the color of its surroundings. At least this is how I see it.
I need a good artist name to sign this one with. My friend Bill Siemon used to call Me To Loose to Trek. That sounds good.
Current Location: Sold
I am trying something different. Working on a dark background and building on top of that. I am working on creating a purple haze on the black. Then I will add the image. Fun so far! This is 30×24, nice size.
Brenda Osborne 