"Cloudy Day at Ocean Point"

"Cloudy Day at Ocean Point"

6"x8" oil on Canvas Panel
$150

Today the Plein Air Painters of Maine had our OPA Paint Out at Ocean Park in East Boothbay. It was fun even though the overcast morning sky gave way to fog in the afternoon.

Tree Study Process

Tree Study

8"x10" oil on canvas panel

NFS

Tree Study: shapes within shapes

Tree Study - color block in

Tree Study: values

Today I worked on a tree study using the method we learned last week from Anne Blair Brown. I am missing the initial step in these posts, which is a set of four small value studies in my sketchbook in pen or marker. I did them, but just keep forgetting to take a photo.

I got a question on yesterday's post on this approach, which was "how do you keep from picking up the underlying burnt sienna?" There are several factors involved: using enough paint, lightness of touch in going over the value study, and consistency of the paint. Initially I thought it was all about the consistency of the second layer, but I now think that the first two are more important. Anne had us mix pools of paint for the color block in, with an emphasis on making big pools. Try this: Paint a stripe of dark burnt sienna (add a little ultramarine blue to darken it), and then with a good bit of paint and a light touch, paint a stripe over it of another color. Try medium or gamsol to vary the consistency of the upper layer, and I think you'll find a way to make this work.

"Churchy At LowTide"

 

"Churchy At Low Tide"

8"x8" oil on Raymar panel

plein air

$250

Color block-in

Value Underpainting

This week I've been taking a walk to our family cottage in the afternoons to see where the tide has deposited each of the rowboats. Every day it's different. Today, Churchy was in a nice position to paint her from the rocks. I wanted to use what I learned last week with Anne Blair Brown, so I did a value study in burnt sienna, then a color block in, and finally looked for shapes within the shapes (this last is the hardest part for me). I think I am starting to get it.

"Waiting For The Tide"

"Waiting For The Tide"

5"x7" oil on linen panel, plein air

This little pram is called Ariella, once the tender to a beautiful Herreshoff ketch called Ariel, owned by our Uncle Dave. She has a new life now as a children's rowboat.

"Little Blue Boat"

"Little Blue Boat"

5"x7" oil on linen panel
SOLD

This little blue rowboat belongs to a neighbor, but since I've given her a new paint job I won't say who. Maybe we'll see her again later.

FYI, to celebrate the 30 paintings in 30 days event, I'm pricing these little boat pictures at $100 for the month of September. At the end of the month they go back to $150 unframed/$200 framed.

"Grimes Cove"

"Grimes Cove"

11"x14" oil on linen panel
NFS

This was our second and final day in the workshop with Anne Blair Brown. If you get a chance, study with Anne. She had us all out of our comfort zones, and into expressive brushwork. I'm looking forward to spending some time practicing this.

"Ocean Point Rocks"

"Ocean Point Rocks"

8"x10" oil on linen panel
NFS

I'm off my boat theme today and tomorrow, since I'm in a workshop with Anne Blair Brown. I could watch her paint for hours! My day 1 painting is above. We started with four composition sketches, from which one was chosen for the painting. Then a value block-in, followed by a little tuning of each of the student paintings by Ann. Then we did it again and proceeded with color.

"Green Rowboat"

"Green Rowboat"

5"x7" oil on linen panel

$150

I snapped a photo of this rowboat from the Hardy III as we came in to New Harbor from Monhegan. It must belong to a lobsterman who took the oars with him.

"Sailing in the Harbor"

"Sailing in the Harbor"

5"x7" oil on linen panel

I did a few sketches of this sweet little blue sailboat skimming around the harbor in Christmas Cove, and then put a couple of them together for this painting. It's so calm in the very protected harbor there, I was able to paint on the boat.

"Churchy"

"Churchy"

6"x6" oil on canvas panel

Churchy is one of the dinghies owned by our extended family in Maine. She's a great rowboat, and many children have learned to row in her. This the first of 30 paintings in 30 days that I plan to do this month, along with about 700 other artists for Leslie's Saeta's challenge. We've all chosen a theme, and you won't be surprised that mine is boats. Since we are out on our boat, my next couple may be watercolors, things are rolling around out here a bit much for oils, though I did finish this one on the trip. To see everyone's paintings each day, take a look here.