One on the easel, three off the easel

On the easel this morning, "Skyline Trail," from a virtual plein air paint-out with Puget Sound Group of Northwest Artists last weekend. This is the view of my easel from my newly placed contemplation-chair.

I am continually re-inventing my process. I've added my Grandma Rose Benedetti's sewing chair as a place to take breaks and contemplate the work on my easel. This chair is probably 100 years old. I remember Grandma sitting on it in her Morganville (Black Diamond) house as she embroidered and crocheted. Love this chair; it has a right-hand slide-out drawer under the seat.

Hot off the easel this week:
"Paradise, Mt. Rainier"
"Devotion"
"Oh Happy Day"

"Paradise, Mt. Rainier," oil, 10x10 inches
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"Devotion," oil, 10x8 inches
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"Oh, Happy Day," oil, 10x8 inches
Available for purchase through upcoming online show.  Contact me.

Oh, Happy Day

Still on the easel this morning, as it has been all week, is "Oh Happy Day." This has been a two steps back, one step forward painting for me.  Started off great but one day I realized I had a tiny brush in my hand making "important" corrections. Alarm! Alarm! Step away from the painting. Get a big brush and finish it off in 5 minutes. I would have liked to have done that but I realized I hadn't fully contemplated the color temperatures and values. So, I did get a big brush but instead of trying to finish the painting, I painted out all the flowers and began again. Now I am working from the reference photo because the live set up is long-gone.

 In-progress, "Oh Happy Day," oil, 10x8 inches,
painting limes is next + corrections as shown below.

After a good foundation, I got out my new brush, Rosemary #10 Long Flat series 279 (a brush Colley suggested but in a size 12). It is a badger blend and I painted most of this painting with it. Aha! this could be the same situation as when I taught myself pastel painting. As with the imprecision of a pastel stick, I have the imprecision of a big fat brush. Works for me as I continue to strive for less detail, bigger shapes.

Suddenly I find myself halfway through this year of studying to become a better oil painter. I have a few more months of study with Colley Whisson and after that will study on my own as I did when I taught myself how to paint with pastel. I have oil-painting books but I recently added two new ones. Actually, I KNOW I have The Art Spirit somewhere but I can't find it so now maybe I have two.

Happy painting to you.

Is it your work? or not...

It is a rainy June Saturday morning here in the Pacific Northwest. A good day to paint! On the easel this morning is the larger version of "First Peonies."

At left, the reference photo. In the middle is the painting I'm working on and on the right is the small study I painted in preparation for the larger work.

In November 2019, when I decided to set aside 2020 as a year of study to become a better oil painter, I enrolled in a year-long painting course with Colley Whisson. I have long admired his art and have thoroughly enjoyed working with him.

I submit the painting to Colley for critique and he makes great suggestions about how it can be a stronger painting. Most of the time I take his advice and paint more on the same painting or, if I am happy with my original version, I paint the same scene again. That was the case with "Yellow Mug and Lemon."

At left, my original. At right, second version after advice.

NOTE: Once I incorporate his suggestions, it is no longer my work - it becomes classroom work and not eligible for competition. I can show the work, sell the work, but I can't enter it into a competitive show as my original work. Carefully read a prospectus when entering shows. Most professional shows (that are juried and judged for awards) will state that work must be the original work of the artist.

I recently painted "June Morning." Colley made some good suggestions but I didn't make those changes to the painting or paint it again using his advice because I wanted it to be my original work.

"June Morning," oil on panel, 10x8 inches

So, back to "First Peonies," the painting on my easel this morning shown at the top of this post. I painted it once, submitted it for critique and I am now painting it again (larger) incorporating my mentor's advice. I am a huge fan of mentoring and I try to apply what I have learned from my mentor as I begin each new painting. Happy painting to you.

By the way, I had to disable comments by others on this blog because of spam. You can still reach me by email. Barbara Newton at Comcast DOT net.