Riverbend

"Riverbend"

30"x40" oil on gallery wrap canvas

$1800.00

For this most recent session of classes at Butler Studio, Curt stretched us to use color vibration to design and build our composition.  He showed us how to employ abstract impressionism by building our painting slowly using abstract color notes with varied brushes and knives to VERY SLOWLY bring about our design.  He kept telling us that we should not see the subject until about the 4th class of  the 5 week session!

My color vibration was blue and green.  My colors consisted of a limited palette of ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow deep, titanium white, burnt sienna, cadmium yellow lemon with a small amount of magenta (one of my new favorite colors) to add the purple/lilac mountains in the distance.

Here are a couple progress shots showing how this painting slowly came to life.

Stage 1 progress shot

Stage 2 progress shot (sorry about the light bulb glare)

The final class yesterday was spent adding more greens in the tree masses, brightening some of the sky and adding that same brightness to the flowing water.  I am very tickled to see those strokes of purple in the water to balance the same colors in the receding mountain range.   I was very pleased with how this one turned out and am always very grateful for all Curt does to help me "see the light".

Dining Room Sunlight

"Dining Room Sunlight"

10"x8"

I feel much better about this interior scene.  I loved the wonderful sunshine pouring through the bay windows and the shadows that resulted.  The beautiful home of my son and daughter-in-law have provided the photo source for this scene and the one I posted last week.  I am sure they were wondering why I was walking around their house snapping photos here and there!

I subscribe to a blog written by a wonderful plein air artist from The Netherlands by the name of Roos Schuring.  A few days ago her blog featured these words:  "Fail fast, fail some more.  Admit the failure and do better.  Failing can be fun.  Failing is a given."  These words resonated with me as I am struggling with these interior scapes but I keep plugging away and hopefully some day I will win!  

The struggle continues...

The Quiet Room

"The Quiet Room"

8"x10" oil on panel

One thing I have learned as I've grown older is that I am strong enough to put artwork out there that is not up to my standards...case in point, this piece of artwork above!  

I have been attempting a few interior scenes lately to stretch myself and also because I have always admired scenes of this sort.  I have learned that it is VERY difficult to pull off successfully.  I may do a few more to continue to practice but really want to learn how to do this so much better.  Someday I would love to take a workshop from someone whom I have long admired-Anne Blair Brown-and who does this type of work so well.

By the way, the color of these blue chairs on my monitor is very electric blue and not at all like the color I have painted them.  I usually do not have this issue but it is very evident in this image.