Plein air painting in winter

 

I joined the artists from Plein Air Painters of Idaho yesterday at the Edwards Greenhouse in Boise, Idaho. It is too cold to paint outside now, but I wanted a little practice. I focused on the pretty bromeliads. This is bromeliad guzmania.  I didn't have the right shade of yellow with me, but I still painted and had fun.  I will do this again at some time. I had been there before and painted the outside of the greenhouse (it wasn't as cold that day). This was a small 5' X 7" gessoed hardboard panel. It was a nice break, getting out and meeting other artists and the flowers are beautiful in the greenhouse.

Before it got too cold, I painted with the group outside the greenhouse. I started this small one there and finished it in my studio.

Also 5 X 7, oil on canvas board.

Enlarging my studies

 Gathering of Elks, 16 X 20. Oil on board. I had a hard time with this painting. I had made an 8 X 10 earlier, but enlarging it and painting it was difficult. 

Warm winter's day. This one was also difficult. 11" X 14" enlarged from my plein air paintings last week.  I changed some of the buildings and added them (from my photos). I wanted to include the hawk that was in the tree too.

I found it easier to work on canvas than board in top painting. I guess I need to practice more. I noticed a big difference in color palette. The Elks photo was taken in Alberta in early summer. The cattle were observed in early winter in Idaho. 

Warm sunny winter day

 I joined a group of plein air painters today at Eagle Island State Park (Idaho). It was warm enough to take off my coat. Much better than the last time I went out with them and had cold hands and feet. The cold weather is coming soon so this is probably my last time outdoor painting for a while.  

I like my two little studies enough that I am going to make a bigger painting and include the hawk from the first photo.  I was too busy figuring out colors, shapes and how to put in background and foreground to spend time adding the hawk, plus my canvas was very small.  I'm looking forward to working on the larger canvas this weekend.

Happy Chanukah.  Just a few days left of the holiday. We have been enjoying it.

I also got to talk to some of the horses and dogs who were heading out on the trails. Fun!

Holiday Sales

Sample of Holiday Card

Chanukah Card

 The host of my website (Fine Art America) has announced these sales.

November 15th
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November 26th and November 29th
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Additional Information
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All of the promotions begin at 12:00 AM Eastern U.S. time on the listed start date and end at 11:59 PM Eastern U.S. time on the end date.  If only one date is listed, then the promotion starts and ends on the same day.

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Fall Colors in Idaho

 

Fall colors are a bit dull in Idaho now. I went to Horseshoe Bend with a few other artists from Plein Air Painters of Idaho and attempted plein air painting again. I still find it very hard and I'm not happy with the results.  The good part was finding out this pond (Mill Pond) gets stocked in the spring and hubby and I can go fishing there.  It is only about a 45 minute drive through the mountains from our home. Elevation around 4000 feet.

This is a beautiful western maple in our yard. It is almost finished shedding its leaves, but the sunlight on the few remaining reminded me of the cadmium yellow tube of oil paint I have in my collection. I don't use that color very often.

This is really a beautiful tree, but I don't enjoy raking up all the leaves. ;)

This is a photo from last year. Most of the leaves I see this year are not that bright. We have had a very hot and dry year here in Idaho (climate change I guess).

At work in my studio

 

I responded to a "free" message on Facebook by artist Mark Davis and picked up a second easel. I have not yet painted on it, but I prepared a surface today. This is a 16 X 20" Speedball Art Board (not a canvas). I think I will enjoy experimenting with it. Photo above shows my messy studio. I am not a naturally neat person, but I do have some organization here. The front of this room is my office, the back is my studio.

This is a work in progress, for the theme "gathering" that I saw on Facebook. I remember this photo of the elk in Jasper.  They were all out there breakfasting and ignoring the tourists.  I am going to make this on the larger canvas above. I think I can be more careful with the drawing on a larger surface. I had difficulty with the elks in front of each other and even missed one small one on the right side.  It was good to do the smaller study first.  8 X 10, oil on canvas board.

And just for fun, a Great Tailed Grackle on an umbrella in Costa Rica.  The umbrella was striped, but I didn't like the way it came out in my painting so I just decided that red with go well with black and covered over the stripes (although you can still see them a bit through the paint.  8 X 10, oil on canvas board.

I did miss traveling during the pandemic, but enjoyed browsing through all my photos for inspiration.  I hope to go back to traveling next spring or summer. I'll be getting a booster shot at the end of this month and encourage others to get their shots too.  I would like everyone to be safe.

More experiments

 

I bought a downloaded video lesson on palette knife painting. I found it difficult and very messy, but I enjoyed the lesson. The lesson was $14.95 and it was definitely worthwhile. This is the 2nd one I have tried from Kevin Hill painting.  He is a good instructor.  I have done some lessons with a palette knife in the past, but those were in acrylic paint. This was oil paint. Very thick paint and it takes a long time to dry. (11 X 14" oil on canvas)

Hikers at Arches National Park, Another experiment, this time on gesso'd board.  I think I prefer to paint on regular artist's canvas. Even though I sanded between coats of gesso, the surface was still strange to me.  This one is also oil paint from one of my photos at Arches National Park in Utah several years ago. (12 X 16" oil on board)

And finally a small (5 X 7) study of sunset from my daughter's photo in Salt Lake City of the sunset over the golf course near her apartment. I think I like this enough to finish it and maybe make a larger version.

Rosh Hashanah

 

The Jewish new year of 5782 begins at sundown on September 6th (first of Tishri on the Jewish calendar). I thought it was time to start designing our annual greeting. That way if I change my mind, I have time to think of a different design and verse.

Cards and other printed items available on my website.

Playing with Gesso Part 2

 

I went to the art store and bought the proper materials for this exercise. I am much happier with the result. Now I have to figure out how to use this technique on my own composition.  The link to the Bob Ross episode is in the previous blog post.

I tinkered with it a little more and I like this version better:

Playing with Gesso

 

I decided to have some fun with painting instead of trying to be serious. I found this instructional video online, Bob Ross, Season 28, Episode 4. I didn't have all the right materials, but I had most of them. I bought some black gesso so I could start the experiment.  If you are familiar with Bob Ross, you know that this is not his usual teaching technique. Anyway, I started with black gesso, paper towels and a foam brush. It looks interesting so far.  I used a leftover piece of canvas from another project rather than wastinng a good canvas.  Fun so far.

Here is part 2. I had to repaint the bottom of the canvas because I did not like my path the first time I tried it.  The gesso has to dry before putting color on it.

I didn't have the right materials or colors for this part so I was a bit disappointed, but I still enjoyed this process.  I did go out and buy what I need so I can try it again.