sunset and rothko

15x15 oil with pastel added

"The most important tool the artist fashions though constant practice is faith in his ability to produce miracles when they are needed" Mark Rothko 1948
Miracles, yep that is what painting is all about. We look at a blank canvas and make something appear. It's difficult to find information about Rothko's process. He was very secretive about it and let no one in his studio.  I continue to look at Rothko's work I find I am fascinated by his edges. All the action is there. He creates a little game of hide and seek. Using simultaneous contrast in veils like whispers he creates those beautiful miracles. Edges matter most. Miracles...wow, it's a hard business.

PS One an amazing note today, one of the young artists I teach, unsolicited by me, said," Wow, it's amazing! This was just a white paper before I started. Now this beautiful city is here looking real. (6 years old Evan)  Boy, does he get miracles. I will post his pastel painting after I photograph it.

PPS This is a memory painting, the first one produced solely in my new studio (here it is Sam.)

sunset on the field

8x10 pastel on Uart
Last night I went out to my soccer field to attempt a plein air painting of the quickly setting sun. The time one has to work is so small, about 10 minutes and then there are BIG changes. I set up an underpainting of transparent brown oxide oil before "the show" began. When the sun finally set to the place where it lit the tree edges, the race began. I must admit that keeping my pastels in the same place helped since the light in my eyes was blinding. I could not see the pastels or the paper with any reliability. I would reach for a pastel and hope it was correct. (pastelist, keep your box in order!)  I am working with this in the studio now and I think I will return to the field again tonight.

painting in the snow/sunset

about 8x10 pastel on BFK

Last night there were only small gusts of wind so I decided it was time to go outside to paint again. I wanted to study more nuances of the sunset that my memory had missed. The snow was so deep only the last segment of the tripod could rise out of it.

To paint outdoors in deep snow requires even more clothing- insultates, sweats and waterproof overalls, boots, gaiters (I am from snow country), coat and I was toasty- except of fingers, of course.

It's amazing how many complementary colors dance next to each other as the sun sets.

it finally makes sense...epiphany

 

10x10 pastel on BFK

Well, it finally makes sense. What you ask? The answer is to trust. It is the intuition that has the answers. I  have been studying the light forever, now I just need to trust that I know or can find  the answers and go with it. Search inside...look at nothing.

This is a memory painting. I saw it, verbalized the colors on the spot then ran home and painted. The glow was there! The BFK helped because it's smooth and the glazes just flowed like paint.

New Opera, Same Diva / use of value at sunset

This is the larger painting that I began in the field on Monday at sunset. At that time of day a painter has only about 5 minutes to record what she (or he) sees. Even in paintings that are all about color, value is the most important thing. At sunset the values in the land are very close and the temperature changes make the song. The diva is once again the light coming through the trees, the back-up singers are the grasses. Neutrals are the key.

Magic Hour at the Field

pastel 8x15watercolor underpainting

Dominant hue. Yes, I am harping on it again... not for your sake (no offense), more as a reminder for me. Let me explain why. The dominant hue  tells you which colors to use, and what chroma and value they should be. For this one I did a full color underpainting at home. Before leaving for the field I washed the whole thing with  my new favorite watercolor, Daniel Smith's Quinacridone Burnt Scarlet (mixed with Quidacridone Magenta.)   I love this color! Out at the field I concentrated on my dominant hue and chroma and keeping my painting warm.  But as I am sure you are aware, if I just painted warm without any counter balance it would be boring.  I also decided to stretch to lower foreground shape to make the dominant value be the shadow-about a 5/6 on the value scale.  It also made a path back to the glowing horizon.
I am really starting to enjoy doing the underpainting at home. I found it frees me up on site.

Deer Grazing at Sunset/unfinished

"As painter....we must always remember that our precious poetic visions and spiritual insight will remain forever locked within us until we can boil them down to a complex arrangement of a few hundred strokes or possibly even thousands of brushstrokes." Richard Schmid

Inch by inch this one has been creeping out of the marble dust board. Plein air painting has the vision before you. From that image you make your own. In this painting I am working more like the way George Inness did. I saw the vision, but now it is just me and the board with nothing but the vision to guide me (unlike plein air). It's hard. Poetic visions,...hmmmmm, are supposed to appear easy, like they just slid off you like water on a duck's back ....... This one has been scrubbed, sprayed, scratched, painted, and hundreds of layers of pastel... It still has more to go. Let's see who wins.....or finds peace.
I swear it's the best job in the world.

Deer at Sunset

9x9 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper

This is the small, but finished version of the deer on my favorite field. Most of my energy went into developing the light through the trees. I could make out the deer in the distance but so quietly. (Can you see them?) One focal point, a place to linger.. To make it stronger I needed to edit and simplify everything else for maximum effect. The feeling of quiet reflection...... .

Down into the Canyon

9x9 pastel on Uart paper
It was almost sunset and freezing when I began this one. When I left the scene it was very unfinished. The Rio Grande. I worked with it sporadically since I returned. It meant digging into my memory and trying to pull out that golden light and deep shadow.
Hmmmmmm...back to spring in DC.

Chincoteague- glazing still under construction

8 x10 oil, glazing layers 6+, unfinished

Glazing takes patience. I do own a blow drier, not for my hair, but to dry paintings faster. It got a workout today! Tomorrow I will put on another layer. If I don't wait it becomes muddy mush rather than enticing layers of color. Patience.
Sorry I couldn't get a decent picture. It is way TOO blue...it's actually much oranger, especially in the right top corner. I will try to replace the jpeg tomorrow tomorrow.(It's harder to get a good photo of a wet oil!)
On an interesting note, I have always loved Schmincke pastels so when I saw "test the best" schmincke mussini transparent oils on the Dick Blick website, I said, why not?. I love the colors I can make with these three little paints. Check them out.

Silver and Gold

10 x10 pastel on Uart paper $100.
After I had finished work in the studio yesterday I drove down to the river for a sunset opportunity. The light was overcast with small peaks of sun which made a sort of silver light with cooler orange-gold (gold can be cool?) accents. I had a plan, but when I got down to my spot I realized I had left my watercolors behind (that will teach me for cleaning the palette!) So I rubbed in a pastel underpainting. I find my thinking changing. It is like learning a new language: only practice and new opportunities to speak will increase my vocabulary. I am now placing thin layers, rather than my usual more a la prima method.
Plein air painting is so much more complicated- so much stimuli and little time to synthesize.

Gorge at Sunset

6 x6 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100.
Trying to calm down my palette a little, but still create light. This is one stab at it. Next,....

Where To Go?

8 x 12 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100.
How far can you take an idea? That is the question today. Trying to develop a concept is not done in one shot. Instead it takes many trips inside (one's head) trying to figure out how to push it. During these times the only conversation is with the painting- not the scene or reference material. This is my river and I am developing that calm sunset/ stillness in twilight.

Twilight on the Potomac

8 x8.5 pastel and watercolor on marble dust board $100.
Last night, when crossing the American Legion Bridge, a marvelous sunset display happened. Unfortunately I was driving. Fortunately, I decided to play the memory game. Remember that light. Today I tried to recreate it.

Quick Study of Sunset

7x7 pastel and watercolor on paper NFS
Tonight I worked over and over again from this study. Even though this study has its own problems, at least it's fresh.
Sometimes I am guilty of, pardon the expression, "beating a dead horse." I just won't give up. Well the painting died a slow death at least twice.
Tomorrow's another day:-)

March 27, 2008 March Gold in Chincoteague

10x12, pastel and watercolor on board
This one just clicked. Being out in the field once again feels really good. It's a good reminder to search for the feeling of color rather than the local color. I am painting three paintings a day and the weather is cooperating to be outdoors non-stop. Can you imagine..... sunny and warm at the beach in March?

March 17, 2008 Quiet Walk

7x11, pastel and watercolor on wallis, finished painting
7x11, pastel and watercolor on wallis- underpainting
Here is the process again. This weekend I was out walking by the river. On my way out there I saw this beautiful field in Potomac. I love the big sky, which is unusual for this area.
The watercolor offers some beautiful accidents.. like the beautiful drippy effect in the dark clouds, the pastel offers more depth of color. Next time I will combine and leave the drips.

March 11, 2008 Bronze Sunset, Mizell's Lumber

8x12, pastel and watercolor on board
Did you ever torment yourself working on a painting that was doomed to fail. Well this was mine. Like a dog with a bone, I have struggled with this small one all day and night. Bite, bite, tear, curse, grumble...argh! Either I should stop doing structures, which drive me crazy, or do more.....?????? For now I guess I will get ready for bed!
On another topic, now, when you want to make a comment you will need to put in one of those little codes. Press comment and you will see. My friend Domi helped me figure this out. I have been receiving a lot of spam comments and this should stop that from happening. Comment away!
Oh, by the way, I get my new car tomorrow. The new art cave will be coming home! Amazing! (Since I paint in my car and use it like a studio/sleep spaceI call it my art cave. This will be cave 4.)

March 5,2008 Late Afternoon Light in March

6x7 pastel and watercolor on board
I posted this yesterday with the wrong date. Today I reworked it and am reposting with yesterday's date (the correct one.) Now for today's work.
This late afternoon I was on my way down to the river and I had one of those...irk, stop, look, drool, oh, my! It was dramatic and blinding. No camera could catch it since it was back lit. The thing was I only had a very small amount of time to catch it for it would change quickly. So I quickly painted the main light and dark shapes. No time for fussing. Yellow lights, purple darks, then note some color nuances with pastel. It's raw, but still, I like the feel if light, the impression of the moment. The forms grew on their own. I simply recorded the light. Maybe I will use this and some photos to create a bigger, more finished one.

February 28, 2008 Sunset at the Station

8.5x8.5 pastel and watercolor on wallis, $100. plus tax and ship
Last night I was hanging at the station again. (Am I becoming a station junkie?...I'm not even going anywhere!) Well it was cold and windy, but sunset was stellar! Low sun, highlights on the sides of buildings, pink clouds (ooooooh and I love pink clouds!), what more can a girl want?