Chino Hills Morning

Chino Hills  Morning 30"X 48" oil on canvas done in the studio.  This painting was inspired by a hike in the Chino Hills State Park.  I really like the light this time of year in the park.  The shadows in between the hills were of particular interest to me.  I like to paint larger because it affords me a greater opportunity to explore color.  

In this value shot I was particularly interested in the separation of the foreground from the background.  There is no middle ground in the painting.  Although the shadows were my primary interest, I had to make sure that there was the right amount of aerial perspective.  Aerial perspective at times has been a challenge.  The strength of the shadows was important to me.  They were large and strong when I saw them.  They were not very far from my vista.  However, I had to make them believable.  In past paintings the issue was more about the foreground not being strong enough.  In my recent efforts, my intention has been to push the lights lighter and the darks darker to arrive at the illusion of distance.  

The detail shot.  This large painting allowed me to express myself through my mark making to a greater degree.  This painting represents my attempt to push my skill further.  

Warm Waters Morning

Warm Waters Morning 24x36 oil on canvas in the studio.

A really simple beginning.  I started with a thin wash of paint.  In the past I have used thinners to get the initial shapes down.  I them moved to walnut oil.  Now I am using Safflower oil because it is more compatible with the oil in the paint that I am using.  

On the easel.  Checking the look of the overall composition from distance.  In this painting it was fairly easy to maintain the initial notan.

In this shot you can see the thin wash and brush strokes in what will be the water in the foreground.

With all of the shapes defined with different values, I began to add the color.

This painting had a very deliberate and simple color progression.  The slower buildup allowed for more subtlety within the painting.

The big finish.  Everything was set up for a quick and dynamic ending.

The finished painting.

The value shot.

The detail shot.  Time to evaluate the brush work and the abstract nature within the painting.

Montage Project

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Chino Hills Project