10 Minute Landscape #3

Grigg's Farm #3
3"x3" oil on canvas panel

This is my third 10 minute landscape at Grigg's Farm.

The 10 Minute Apple goes Landscape

First 10 minute landscape

The 10 minute apple or pear exercise is a great way to get some practice; painting small makes it easier to paint fast, limiting the time means you tend to leave your first marks, and painting the same thing several time gives you improvement "instant gratification". I think it's really fun.

This morning I did two 3"x3" studies just after the sun came up, here's the first one. It was warm and beautiful outside, and it was good to get the brushes out.

"On The Mooring"

"On the Mooring"
5"x7" oil on Gessobord

I love Peggi Kroll-Roberts' work, and ordered her 6 lesson CD set last week. I've watched them all, and they're wonderful, as are the images of her work in the included slide show on each disc. I couldn't resist just ripping through them, though I know it will be best to work through the lessons one by one. This painting is my first under the influence, simple chunky composition, minimal number of values and colors. I hope to get to the thick paint shortly...

I'd love to get some feedback from you all on my blog content. Would you prefer to see sketches in a separate blog, and only paintings here? Responses via email or blog comments would be much appreciated.

"Cafe Cat"

Cafe Cat #2

Cafe Cat #1

This ginger cat was lounging on a bench at one of the beautiful cafes along the place in Tourtour, Provence. The bottom drawing was my first shot, and I drew the cat itself as sort of a contour drawing, then put in the other details. The top drawing is more of a suggestion, asking the viewer to supply the details. Which one do you like best, top or bottom?

"Chateaudouble Cat Sniffs"

The Chateaudouble Cat is back again. I love this pose, and it just fell off the pen on the first try. There's something chunky about the shape and the markings that makes this one come together for me.

"Chateaudouble Cat"

Drawing 2

Drawing 1

We met this cat in Chateuadouble, a beautiful town in Provence with magnificent views. I love the way the name is pronounced in French (Sha-toh-dew-blay). This little guy gave me a couple of poses (he'll be back again tomorrow). This time, it took two passes to get a drawing I liked and I'm showing both. Which one do you like best?

If only it was as quick to do an oil sketch as a drawing! I think that the freedom of being able to just toss it, makes it so much easier to get a good one. No pressure.

"An Elegant Cat"

While I was in France, I took some photos of dogs and cats, and especially enjoyed watching them in the outdoor cafes. I did some drawings from the photos in a direct manner with pen, no pencil first, which I'll show over the next few days. In this first drawing, it only took one try to get something I liked. It doesn't always work that way.

"It's Fall"

"It's Fall"
6"x8" oil on canvas panel

Today was so beautiful I just had to get outside and paint. Here's my homage to fall, taken from the treetops over a neighbor's house in Maine.

"Nubbin - Late Afternoon"

"Nubbin - Late Afternoon"
6"x6" oil on canvas panel

I'm having a hard time adjusting to the fall sunrise, there just enough time to paint before work. Not to mention all the rain that's been between me and the sun ever since we got back from France. But that's enough complaining. I've been experimenting, trying a few new things, which has led to some wipers, and if I'm lucky, some learning. It's kind of fun to take one subject and paint it over an over, trying different approaches. So, once again, here's the Nubbin. This time I was trying to use more paint, and to go quickly, inspired by the recent posts of Liz Wiltzen and Kathryn Townsend. I have a ways to go, but I am learning something.