Morning and Afternoon

There was a time when I did not want to paint the same scene twice.  I have painted some version of this landscape more than any other.  I could paint this scene every day and find something different every time.

 I recently had been painting on some "Easter" toned boards (pink and teal).  I woke up feeling a warm brown knowing that I would be painting with a lot of blues, greens, and purples.

 One of the interesting things about changing up the color of the underpainting is how it effects my pallet.  Just as every color I put down influences the color I put down next to it; so does the underpainting effect the colors in my pallet and their appearance on the board.

Because I do not go back and work on a plein air piece a second time, the detail of my landscapes can be left incomplete.  The rocks below the bluffs, the detail in the fronds of the palms, the water's tendencies, and the texture of the bluff above Rockpile are all important to me.  I have no choice but to simplify the landscape throughout my rendition.   It is not because I believe in simplification it is because regardless of how much detail I would like to put into a picture there is no choice but to simplify.  The execution of my minds eye simplifies the scene for me so that I may make a coherent construction of it.  For me it is about putting in as much detail as I can.  

 As I work through my process, I add more definition and detail in each successive pass I make.  It is similar to gradually focusing your eyes to your surrounding when you wake up.

 As I approach the level of detail I need for the painting, so too do I approach values and color.  The painting evolves along three distinct lines: color, value, and detail.

 The editing process is continuous and spontaneous.  Editing is less about analytics and more about feeling.  

The value shot confirms or denies my value hypothesis. Sometimes it can be difficult to see colors in terms of their values.  In oil painting, you want to put it down right and not mess around with it.  In pastel painting you can go over it again and again until you get it right.  Pastels give you a wide range of expression because of your ability to layer.  The detail, color, and value all benefit from layering.  I believe I have a wider range of complexity available to me because of my technique.  I can continue to work areas of the painting in very subtle ways to a much greater degree than I could if I were working in oil.

The detail shot lets me know if I put all of the pieces together right.  I am looking for the color and value relationships.  Did I put them together in a interesting manner that portrays my perception of the landscape?  Is there quality in the mark making?  Did I vary my strokes enough?  Is there balance in all aspects of my painting?  Did I achieve a degree of interplay between what I put down and what I left exposed?

 I put more money in the meter and decided not to move for my second painting of the day.  I like the idea of painting the same scene in different light.  I think you can really see the evolution of ability when you can compare a number of paintings over a period of time.  I will have to get all of my Rockpile paintings together at some point.

 The color of the blue board was perfect for the cool shadows of the afternoon.  I do not think about taking risks when I am painting.  I laugh when people tell me that I am brave for painting large plein air pieces.  Bravery is a word best used to describe acts where the consequences for failure are high and the chances for failure are likely.  I added the sun burnt kelp in the lower right hand corner of the painting on a whim.  I did not know if I was going to be able to pull it off, but I did not worry about my ability to pull it off either. Fear of failing can not be allowed.  I do not worry about ruining a painting.  I really do not think about the consequences of my painting decisions.  On some subconscious level I am thinking about the thousands of decisions that go into each painting, but I do not dwell on anything.  I paint my way in, through, and out of the painting. 

 There are no pictures of the painting in progress because time was short.  I was able to complete 12 feet of painting in about six hours. It felt good to crank out 18 feet of painting in two days.  I do not want any rust creeping in.