Pepper Light

This Pepper tree has been one of the more challenging paintings that I have painted.  The amazing light shining through the leaves and branches was the challenge.  My vision  surpassed my ability.  This did not stop me but it did slow me down.  

The following pictures are detail shots randomly selected.  I like to break down the context of the painting to see the abstract nature within the painting.

The black and white shot reveals the strength of the composition.

The detail shot reveals the truth.

 

Out My Backdoor

 

  

SCPAPA at Sea and Sage

In The Reeds, a pastel painting on paper.

The Southern California Plein Air Painters Association had a paint out at the Sea and Sage chapter of the Audubon Society in Irvine.  It was tucked away by the Irvine University campus.

I was drawn to the ponds.  There were some great clouds that I had hoped to add to my painting until I saw the reeds at the edge of the pond.  The best I could do was to show the reflection of the clouds in the water.  

Placing the large shapes onto the surface and building the composition.  I was interested in showing the silhouette of the reeds, the water reflecting the clouds with the motion of the surface of the water, and the changes in the color of the water  

Once I had gotten the overall concept of the shapes in place, I went to work on the water.  Clouds do not wait for anyone and although I did not get my clouds directly into the painting their reflections were interesting.  One of the things I tried to work on in this painting was not over working the surface.  I was trying to get it right once and move on.  Although most pastel surfaces offer plenty of tooth, the consequence of over loading an area of the painting are not worth it.  What you end up with is an area of the painting that loses its freshness; it looks worn out.

The horizontal shapes in the water were an interesting counterpoint to the silhouette.  In order to make that part of the painting work I had to establish the movement in the water completely before defining the shapes of the reeds.  I did have to work back and forth between the two areas of the painting but I did my best to minimize it.  I did not want to create choppy shapes within the water.

A blessing in disguise.  When I am plein air painting I frequently work as long as I can to get the most complete expression as possible.  I have never gone back to the same location to complete a painting yet...However, I did have a time constraint which kept me moving along.

The detail shot is all about the small areas of the painting and the abstract nature of the mark making.  The under the microscope review is always interesting.  There are a lot of painters who emphasize the process of simplification to help them deliver a coherent composition.  To me it is more about how well I describe the detail and how well it fits in to describe the whole painting and the ideas I am trying to explore.  

The black and white version of the painting helps me understand how well the composition turned out and how well I represented the values within the painting.  I like this end result.  It is a little different for me.  Overall the painting is darker on the value scale than I normally paint.

 

The Idea of One Day at the Beach

There have been many beautiful days of plein air painting.  The anticipation of what will be often starts the night before.  The dawn's light helps me decide where I am going to paint and what color my board will be.

This day in October 2014 may have been the best day for painting I have experienced.  The quality of the light was unique.  I know that the light is always unique but it had this special quality.

Everywhere I looked was an inspiring view.

Painting idea:  The dynamic motion of the water leading you into the painting and contrasting the iconic bluffs' color against the smooth color of the late afternoon sky.

Painting idea:  Building the dark foreground to emphasize the bright orange bluff

Painting idea:  Emphasize the contrast in values and color of the foreground and emphasize the complimentary colors in the major shapes to create an impressionistic focus on the rushing water.

This painting couldn't possibly express what was going on all around me that day.

How many paintings could one day inspire?  A tonalist sunset?

Future painting?  Emphasize the light on the rocks, the pattern they form, and the design the receding water in the sand has left behind.

The water marks in the sand leading you into the rocks with the Kelp with the sun shining through the mass and the complimentary colors of the rocks versus the shadows and the sand

An ode to the feeling of a beach in it's last moments of light.  Focus on the shadows against the sandstone.

The contrast of the sun on the water versus the dark shapes of the rocks with the rim light and the dissolution of light into the bright sunset

The bright light against the cliffs and the reflection in the dark sand with the dance of light upon the water

Painting idea: Tonalist muted and moody with the focus on the color transitions in the sky and on the bluff.

The beginning started with an amazing day in early October.  I started painting in the early afternoon at Picnic Beach.  

Inspiration is something that seems to be within me waiting to be revealed by my surroundings.  On days when I have the time to create my inspiration is lurking just below the surface of my consciousness.  The landscape before me is the foil that sparks my imagination and creativity.  It can be as quick and spontaneous as a glance out of the corner of my eye .

As with anything, that level of engagement with the subject fluctuates.  There have been many occasions when I have done two paintings from the same location.  

Have you ever been asked the hypothetical questions about having to eat only one food, listen to one song, or spend the rest of your life in one place with one person?

I had a day in 2014 that made me think about how a single day could inspire a limitless number of paintings.

The idea for a painting behind this picture: The contrast in the motion of the water being pulled out with the crashing waves shape.

The idea for a painting: The light upon the water and the sand with all of the impressionistic colors and the shapes of the waters' movement.

The painting realized.  

The idea for the painting was: The subtle transition of color in the sky with the setting sun against the dynamic color of the sun's reflection in the ocean and the effect on the major shape in the painting (the wave) with some fireworks in the wet sand.

Gruppe on Color

 I am very excited to start studying.  Gruppe on Color it just arrived at the front door.  It is a first edition in great condition.  I look forward to getting into his thoughts about color.  I will share my takes as I work through the book.

Picnic Beach

Picnic Beach is a pastel painting on board.  The board is 3/8" good 2 side plywood treated with pumice gel and acrylic paint.  The size of this board is 24"X 36".  The pumice gel creates tooth for the pastel to grab onto and the acrylic paint acts as an underpainting.  I choose the color of the underpainting based on the subject I am painting.  

This location is really nice for painting.  You can park right next to the painting location so it easy to pack and unpack.  There is a little alcove with a bench so you are out of the way while being in the middle of everything.

My approach to plein air painting.  I paint on the larger side.  Most plein air painters tend to paint 5x7, 8x10, or 12x16 inches in size.  To me that is just too small to work on the abstraction of detail that I crave.  I feel like I can get a better resolution by giving myself enough room to explore shapes and color more fully.

In the 3 hours that I am painting, I am seeking to get the most complete painting I am able to.  I realize that a highly polished painting is a difficult outcome to achieve.  My plein air painting is intended to increase my skill as a painter.  I do not work on the painting in the studio after I have completed on site.  I have not gone back to paint on location a second time on the same painting. I have not used a plein air painting as a study for a studio painting yet. These paintings are an end in themselves at this point.  That may all change.  I do not feel that I have imposed a false or arbitrary restriction.  All of those things are attractive options that I may explore in the future.  The goal is to get the best painting I can within a single sitting.  I am trying to increase my skill to the point where I can get a finished painting in that window of time.

I believe that one of my keys for a successful painting is the no fear attitude.  When the painting flows it is because the decision making becomes subminimal.  Once the big problems of composition and drawing have been worked out, I fall into a trance like state while painting.  This trance is a super focused Zen like awareness.  The freedom to act in this mode speeds up the painting process.  Worrying, over analysis, and insecurity lead to second guessing.  Second guessing will kill a painting quicker than anything I know.  Trust in yourself.  Believe in your practice and training.  Understand that it is just one painting in a series of paintings in the course of your life.  No one painting is that important.  Each represents a step in your journey towards mastery.

Abstraction is the minds shorthand to mark making.  The marks within this detail photo of the painting represent water, rocks, sand, tree trunks, shadows, and plant material.  When I am painting and responding to the scene, I am trying to represent all of this detail with a series of marks.  I am not focused on the detail but the parts of the whole working together to create my impression of the scene.

 The sum of the parts are greater than the whole.  This section of the painting may not closely represent what I am seeing but when it is paired up with the rest of the pieces it comes together.  If you get caught up to minute accuracy you may lose the whole.

Daily Abstraction

 In the midst of a long day at work.I  found this abstract sculpture sitting in front of me.  It seems I am eternally surrounded by beauty.   A water bottle.

In Bloom

 This pastel painting was painted in Laguna.  The painting measures 29x43 inches.  I started with a quick water color under painting.  The light was amazing.  A lot of plein air painters lock in their shadow and light patterns in the beginning so they capture that specific time of day.  They are essentially referring by memory how a scene looked when they started the painting.  To me this does not make sense.  Painting from life is painting what is in front of you; not painting what was there.  When I am painting, I add the highlights at the end.  Once I have established the overall design of the painting, I slowly build the painting from dark to light.  I know where the shadows are going and what it is going to do to the landscape.  This knowledge allows me to paint everywhere building the painting to a crescendo .  It is not chasing the light it is knowing where the light will be and planning for a big ending.  This photo was taken on site as the painting was completed.  That is why you can see the tape around the perimeter of the painting.

Picnic Beach Plein Air Series