Monday, July 30, 2012

Afternoon Phlox 6"x 6"

I was encouraged at being able to find something to paint at Sladden Park so I tried my own yard.  I wish there were more possibilities but I think this is about it.  There might be something in the front if the sun ever comes back. 

Thursday, July 26, 2012

View from Sladden Park 8"x 6"

I'm happy with this one except the foreground shade is too piecey.  I don't want to mess with this one but will try to think about that next time. I really like the shape of the sky and the sky holes. (which have been hard for me to get right)  I also like that the brush strokes look casual.
It looks so quiet but in reality there was all kinds of activity going on all around me:  There was a group of kids doing crafts in one of the city's summer programs, boys playing basketball just a few feet away and a relentless grounds person mowing with his ride on mower.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Near Pleasant Hill 6"x 8"

I saw this scene a couple times driving out Hwy 58 and wanted to paint it before they pick up the hay.  When I got there yesterday there was a cloud cover.  I stood on the edge of the highway sketching the scene and realized I wouldn't be able to paint there with all the traffic that was going by so I pulled into the nearby gas station and thought I would just try to get the colors on a little canvas. After a while the clouds lifted.   I actually like how it came out.  So now I'm hoping to do a 12" x 16" using all the info I have.  We'll see.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Looking East Across Meadowlark Prairie 8"x 10"

When I decided to paint this, I was really enchanted by how pink the clouds looked.  But I didn't get them pink enough.  I think those clouds meant they were likely to have thunder storms in central Oregon.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Cloud Study 8"x 6"

I went out to the Fisher Unit to try painting the red grass again--and it had all gone brown!  What a shock.  Oh well, a next year.
So we had a lot of clouds.  The overcast was just breaking and I've been wanting to learn to paint clouds.  They are so rare here in summer.  I learned some but have a lot more to figure out.  I've been looking at them a lot since this painting and have noticed that the distant ones have a horozontal dark shadow line while the ones that are overhead show a lot more of their shadow underside.  That's kind of "Duh," I guess but I hadn't put any thought into it before.  I also have been noticing that the shadows on the distant ones tend toward blue and the shadows on the closer ones are warmer and more burnt sienna.
I hate to get too optimistic, but it looks like we may have several sunny days coming.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Where the Road Meets the Wetlands Studio Version 9"x 12"

Well, this was kind of a disaster but maybe I learned something.  I thought I should put the center of interest in one of the "1/3 spots".  Maybe it would have worked if I had gone for the right side instead of the left but I think my original composition was probably better than either.  Can't believe I have that water running right out the left side!
But then I did work out a few other things.  I'm really happy that I tried putting some light blue and light red tones on the mountains.  I'm also happy that I figured out how to paint the red grass instead of just making one big red blob like I have been doing.  I still don't get how to paint all those masses of grassy stems.  I want to go toward a mass, not individual stems.
Well, there's bound to be another sunny day and that red grass should last awhile so I'll try again.
Our Plein Air group will be hanging a show today at the library.  It will run through September.  I get to help hang it.  Should be fun to see what everyone has submitted