We have been getting so much rain here in the Pacific Northwest!...and it is still pretty chilly....The blossoms are out on the apple trees but I'm not sure if the bees will be out to pollinate......but it seems nature always finds a way.....I love spring!!
This old truck sits in the field by the driveway of the farm right next to the Knowles Studio where I work. I have been watching it weather away, outside my window for several years now, thinking I should paint it some day......Well....the day arrived...For some unknown reason I was inspired to paint the old truck. I took my easel outside and did the pencil drawing, took some color notes and photos and this is the result.
The sketch was 12x16, but since I didn't have a canvas that size I painted it on a 16x20 and added the foreground.....what the heck...
I found this old silver teapot up in the attic and set up a still life. The flowers are faux from Wal Mart and look like it in this study.....sort of lifeless....I see a lot of areas for improvement in this piece.....but that's what it's all about!.....practice, brush miles, and working out challenges on canvas with brush and paint!...sold
I have been working on several projects but it has been a few days so I will just post this little still life I did a few weeks ago. I purchased this bottle of wine for my still life set up because I liked the label. It is called Gnarly Head, referring to the Old Vine Zinfandel grapes used to make it. Turns out it is pretty good with roast beef...
I ran across a photo I took almost twenty years ago of a trip up the Washington Coast when I was fairly new to this area. I can still remember hopping out of the car at every turn in the road and taking pictures of everything....I was so amazed and excited by the beauty surrounding me in my new home state....I still love Washington state and now I have the privilege of spending time painting that beauty every day!
My day trip to Fort Flagler for some plein air painting paid off in a lot of good reference material for studio painting as well. I took the photo for this painting out the window of my truck as I was exploring some rural roads off the beaten track.
The field sketch.
I set this up in my new still life cubicle.....then put a florescent light low to the side....then painted it late at night...
Working on my yellows......somehow a difficult color for me. The biggest challenge was the transparency and luminous light in the cut lemon.
