WIP

 I  have been in the Chino Hills State Park many times.  My house is about a quarter mile from a entrance into the park.  The hills, trees, shadows, the feeling of distance are things that have pulled me into the park time and time again.  Most of the time I am in the park when it has dried out.  I went into the park last week in the latter part of the afternoon.  I went on a quick 6 mile hike that took me to the top of the hills.  I made it down just in time to beat the sun setting.  The views were breath taking.  

I am never at a shortage for inspiration, but the beauty of this day had to be put down while it was fresh in my mind.  Above you can see the two starts I did.  The top painting is a oil that measures 24"X 36".  The bottom painting is a water color that I will apply pastels to.  This start also measures 24"X 36".  As a painter, you get a feeling about a painting as it develops.  These paintings are going to be special.

Tea Time

This pencil drawing measures approximately 13"X 18".  This was completely drawn free hand.  I did not use anything to project shapes or trace any part of the drawing.  There may be quicker ways to a good drawing but they will not result in the same skill development.

The detail shot.

Another Beautiful Day In Laguna Beach

 I got to the beach and found a painter.  I introduced myself and asked if she didn't mind if I could paint with her.  She said no problem.  Her name was Debra Mosier from Santa Barbara.

 Here is the view from my painting location.

 This is my painting after blocking it in.

 At this point I am starting to refine the different areas of the painting and adding detail.  I am continuing to develop my values within the painting.

 The finished painting 24"X 36".  Soft pastel on board painted with acrylic paint and pumice gel.

The value shot.

The detail shot.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

  My first painting plein air painting was 24"X 36".  Since that first painting I have continued to push the limits of what I can get done in one sitting.  Plein air painting more than any other thing has helped me grow as a painter.

These paintings all measure 36"X 36".  The quality of these paintings vary.  This one I believe is the poorest of the group.  I am not a believer that you learn more from your mistakes than your successes. I believe you learn by putting everything on the line.  I do not go into a painting thinking anything other than what the possibilities hold.  Anything is possible.  I am not worried, I am committed.  I keep practicing and because I practice I believe in myself.  Because I believe in myself, I make decisions and do not second guess myself.  The deeper the concentration and focus the quicker I paint.  The decisions are fired off without hesitation; they become automatic like subliminal suggestions.

When I am painting this larger size there is no time to go back and fix sections of any significance.  Every decision is magnified in its importance.  The ability to really explore shapes, marks, values, color, and composition  can not be accomplished on the typical plein air canvas.  It is more of a gamble.  But the reward is so much more satisfying.  I think... I have never painted anything smaller than 24"X 24".

I think I am ready for the next step.  Painting en plein air with oils.

LPAPA Paint Out with Saim Caglayan

It was a perfect day to paint but it did not look that way when I woke up.  The 35 mile drive to the mission made a big difference in the weather conditions.  

Saim was running late so it gave me the opportunity to walk around the grounds and take pictures.  I had picked the location I wanted to paint a week before the paint out.  One of my recent projects is to paint in the same location as historical plein air painters.  I found the spot with no trouble.  The idea of painting in the same spot 93 years later changed my perspective.

This location is so ripe with subjects to paint it can be a distraction.

A rare group photo.  Usually we just meet for a quick introduction and then begin the demonstration.  I really like it when a large group of painters show up.  To see everyone painting and sharing their ideas is a highlight for me.  The different perspectives and styles lends me a glimpse into my own growth.

I want to start painting some plein air florals in the future.  I think that it will be interesting to paint some larger color shapes that will fill the composition in a different way than my landscapes.

Saim came walking into the mission like he was walking onto a movie set.  He was the star of the show and had no problem playing the part.  He greeted the painters, shared a quick moment with some of the people he knew, and then strolled the grounds looking for his subject.  He used his hands like a telescope to find the composition.

Once he settled on his subject, he spoke a little about his decision making process.  He chose a part of the mission that was back lit.  It was nice to see him painting on a slightly larger canvas than last time.

I really like the colors he makes.  He is always bringing the heavy saturated colors into his paintings.  There was not a lot of instruction, which was nice for a change.  I had a lot of painting to do and I would need every bit of it to get done.

What a great location for a demonstration.

Saim's painting blocked in.

Saim had a very interesting composition.  His use of the edge of the lily pond was something that I would not have thought of doing.

It is always interesting to see what everyone is drawn to from a composition and subject matter standpoint.

I already had this board in the car.  The board acts as a cue to the colors that I use in the painting.  The other way I could have gone would have been to go with a sienna or purple color.  Because I was painting the same scene Alison Skinner Clark I was influenced to a certain degree by the pallet of colors he used for his painting.

After I set up Bing set up and started painting.  As you can see we have this walk way on lock down.  A docent asked Bing to move a couple of times but she held her ground.  She would just agree to move and then keep on painting.  I thought she was going to get us kicked out.  After the second request the docent just gave up.

This composition was different for me.  I usually do not put a lot of buildings in my paintings.  The perspective of the arches and the posts was something I really have not done.  I was patient and took my time to let the perspective take form.

I had to change the angle of the shadows.  

Saim's finished painting.

Fernando's finished painting.

The finished painting.  24"X 36" soft pastel on board under painted with acrylic paint and pumice gel.

The value shot.

The detail shot.

The painting by Alison Skinner Clark on a post card for the current show at the Irvine Museum. Irvine Museum

Stehekin Sunset

Sketch Book