Preparing for oil painting

Before I forget, here is a link of good advice for those of you who want to sell your art.

And, consider this way to get free advice about your work in progress: I am one of the Critique group leaders for Plein Air Painters Washington (PAWA). If you want to join me and others at my studio in Black Diamond, WA, June 8th and September 14th, 10AM - 1:00 PM, we'll be critiquing each others' work. You need to be a PAWA member. 

Now, back to what I really intended to post today.

Each year I switch mediums a couple times. I like to focus on one medium at a time. Last summer I returned to acrylics then it was back to pastel for the remainder of the year and up until now.  Only a couple oil paintings so far this year but now that the garden is well under way I'm looking forward to returning to oil.

Hardboard panels and my special GESSO brush (good quality so no hairs fall out).

Two coats of gesso with dry time between coats. Yay! I'm ready for small studies in oil.

What's on the easel April 22, 2017

On the easel April 22, 2017

Usually I can get projects off my easel by Friday to leave the weekend free from art but this week was an exception. What's on the easel from left to right:

1. 10 x 8 inch oil painting that I started months ago. You can see the reference photo in color peeking out from behind it. The reference photo was taken in January on a frosty sunny morning. I've painted several pastels from the series but only one other oil. I look forward to getting back to this one.

2. 7 x 5 inch pastel painting (with color bar attached). Yesterday the Plein Air Washington Artists Critique Group (PAWA Black Diamond group) met at my Studio and I asked for opinions on several paintings. On one painting I made corrections in pastel as they made suggestions. The painting was improved but the color combination still made me cringe so I wiped it off and began again with a color-wheel in hand.

This is the ghost after wipe-off of the previous image.

High-Key Spring, pastel, 7x5 inches

3. The large white square is a sheet of Fredrix Artist Canvas laid out for four 6 x 6 inch oil paintings. The one I have started here is based on the same reference photo as the first painting but this time in a square format and different palette.

4. The reference photo for the road painting but this time in gray tones to study value. The X drawn on it is a guide that helps me transfer the scene to my painting surface (which also had an X on it).

5. Two new tubes of Daniel Smith oil paint in colors I've never used: Transparent Brown Oxide and Chromium Green Oxide.

Happy Weekend to you.

Demo that became Rejoice

The last Friday of March I did a demo at Maple Valley Community Center (where our Friday Painting Group meets) then took it back to the Studio to finish it. It changed quite a bit!

Rejoice, pastel, 11x18 inches

Number 5 of 6 including steps of progress

Sandy's Creek, pastel, 4x6 inches   Sold

See the steps below.

What happened to the Six-up?

Four of the six in my last post are complete.

Meadow Road, pastel, 6x6 inches   sold

Carmel Waterway, pastel, 6x6 inches  Available

Spring Creek Afternoon, pastel, 6x6 inches   Available

Nisqually Winter, pastel, 6x6 inches    Available