Transparents in the Landscape

New Mexico Light

8x6" oil on Linen Panel $140. SOLD

Artist Note.
I belong to a group of
painters who issue a
Challenge to paint from
a photo of New Mexico

This is Challenge #10 for 2016

So beautiful and typical of NM.

At the Guild this month

we are learning the joys of using
a transparent color foundation
so I thought I would demo this
image to one of the classes.

Transparent colors used:
Indian Yellow
Alizarin Perm.
Ultramarine Blue.

Starting with very thin
coat of  IY
all over and
lifting off cleanly with rag and Gamsol
where I will place the
blue of the mountain
(don't want it green!)
T
Add a touch of Aliz
to the IY for the
warm ground, etc.
Aliz and UB for the purple
Adding UB and IY with hint
the purple for the Green.
Simple shapes of value and color
at this stage.

I moved the peak of the mountain
slightly to the side to avoid
having it directly
over the featured bush. 

All transparent colors for block in.

Starting to add opaques on sky, 

mountain and top area of ground

It could be considered finished

at this point but

 nearly all the

transparent areas 

have been covered and 

it is looking too heavy.

for my taste.

Not sure I liked seeing so much of the 

warmer colors behind the featured bush

so below you can see changes 

I made to that area area

 Choice to be made

I decide on this one.

Now to tackle the other

changes

 I have some major issues 

with the front bushes 

competing with the focal area. 

Also all the transparent glow 

has been lost,

I decided to test what it 

would look like if I removed 

 the front bushes. 

I placed a piece of glass 

over and painted on it first.

Yep - I can see it opened it up.

Then I restored all the 

golden transparent color with 

IY and Aliz. making the foreground

rich and glowing...once again.

Not shown on the one above.

Next - 

I lowered the big bush at its base

and add another bush to balance 

it over on the left. I added a strip 

of light behind the 

large bush area to 

set back the mountain even more

and bring the bush forward.

I placed a strip of fence in 

front of the left bush

to add to the feeling of distance.

Finally getting to where I feel

I have made the painting my own.

I admire the way each artist 

in Lets Paint New Mexico

has a different viewpoint 

from the same image.

Scroll though the link 

below

and look at all the great paintings. 

Some fun challenges are on there.

Lets Paint New Mexico

Impression of Roses

Impression of Roses

6x8in oil on canvas panel $140. SOLD

Artist Note

This is another painting 

following the Transparent

underpainting demo I 

showed on my previous post.

This demo was to see how 

far opaques could be used 

and still keep the glow.

Only the dark areas

are truly transparent with 

tiny areas of a thin layer

 of Indian Yellow 

peeking here and there

though everywhere else.

This one is more decorative

in style. More of an illusion.

The flowers are interesting

because only one has the 

actual shape of a flower, 

the rest are simple shapes 

of color with no detail.

In class today 

we started on the 

landscape -  using the 

transparent colors.

I will show the steps for

that demo in my next post.

The Important Transparents - demo steps

Mixed Bouquet.

6"x 6" oil on canvas  $110.  SOLD

This was a demo to show the importance

of having a transparent underpainting.

Artist Note.

I am a big believer in leaving

some of the darker areas in

 a painting, transparent. 

There is a certain glow which 

doesn't happen with opaque

dark areas  - in fact I find

they can look, pretty "chalky."

My transparent colors 

used for the demo were:

Viridian

 Transparent Oxide Yellow TYO

Alizarin (permanent)

Ultramarine Blue.

 After a wash of TOY 

I did a mass shape using  Viridian.

Next I lifted out the lighter areas

using a rag.

I followed this with more lifting

with a small amount of Gamsol

on my rag and a scrubby brush.

This was to hit my lightest areas. 

I added Viridian and Ultra 

with touch of Aliz to make darker

greens in jar and leaves.

I added more TOY to back and front.

and shadowed the area 

behind the jar

 linking into the dark leaves

Bringing in color but making

sure to keep it all transparent.

Then the fun part - I fractured it!

(See FREE tutorial on tools and what

I use for fracturing  HERE )

I enjoyed bringing it back 

into form by

 taking advantage 

of the broken areas to add 

interest 

Now into the opaque colors.

I added 

Titanium 

Permanent Yellow and 

Permanent Red light to my palette

I started using a knife and a brush

at this point. 

I left the flowers 

very abstract on purpose. 

That was the easiest part -

 because they were all imaginary.

There are transparent areas

peeking through the opaque 

marks, and to me it makes 

for an exciting surface.

Thick - thin,

transparent - opaque,

warm - cool.

If you are not already using the

transparent colors - or have not 

used them for a while then

please let me know if you are 

inspired to try them.

Happy Painting

Enjoy your weekend.

Watercolor Fun!

Pears And van Gogh's Irises

6"x8"watercolor on Yupo  $100. SOLD

Artist Note

This one was pure fun.

Anything on Yupo is fun.

Don't like something?

 Easy - off it goes 

with a quick

 swipe.

If you don't like the 

whole painting...

no problem

just hold it under the tap!

This is my third painting

using the tablecloth

which has

 Vincent van Gogh's Irises 

printed on it. 

I made it more abstract

and let the watercolor 

have the little runs

and unpredictable 

 patterns which make 

working on Yupo so

appealing to me.

Loving this tablecloth!

The Other Yellow Roses

Yellow Roses #2

8x6" oil on canvas  $140 SOLD

Artist Note.

This is the second painting 

I did from the gift of

yellow roses
I received last month.
The first one was a
square close-up
and on this one
I made  an angle
to divide the
flowers and leaves.
The bud breaks it up
so it isn't too abrupt.

Hope all mothers
 enjoyed their special day.
I enjoyed calls
from my kids and as
my own beloved mother
has been gone for
quite a while,
 I wore a blouse
and a locket of  hers
that I treasure,
and remembered
happy times.
It was lovely!

Vincent's Irises And Fruit

Vincent's Irises And Fruit

8x8in oil on canvas  SOLD

Artist Note.

The camera is unable to show all
beautiful shifts of colors I
copied from the tablecloth with
van Gogh's Irises painting
printed on it.
I kept it very impressionist in
technique.
Definitely all about the colors.
And - yes, I am
mesmerized by these colors!

Here is the portion of his original
painting they cropped to fit
the square format of the tablecloth .
You can see along the lower
edge of my painting
is the middle area down
in front of the
leaves against the
brown of the earth.

The jug is one my mother made
in her seventies.
Hand coiled and beautifully
glazed. One of my treasures.

this is the second painting I have
painted inspired by the cloth
(red teapot, three posts ago)
and I have another in mind.
Thank YOU again, Anne,
for the truly inspirational gift.