Welcome back paint fans.
I’m hesitant to use precious diary space for this posting but I haven’t posted here for a couple of weeks, so here goes.
I’ve been travelling out west for the last couple of weeks, in the scenic four corner states, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. During that time I’ve been able to complete a couple of small paintings. Both are 5×7 inches. They were painted on the small canvas boards that I was able to carry with me. (My 2 week absence is the reason for the hiatus of this series.)
Armed with a few tubes of paint and a 3 or 4 brushes that I took in my carry-on bag, I was actually able to do one plein air painting in Sedona as well as the “studio” piece seen below.
This piece is painted from a color brochure of the Rosemount Museum of Pueblo, Colorado. I’m a great admirer of late Victorian architecture and this particular subject was pleasing to me both for the building and the dramatic lighting.
I began with a simple sketch in thin paint of the main elements. Gradually I added colors, filling in the different sections. The main body was painted first, the windows and details subsequently. The sky and foreground were added later.
The painting is rendered in fully saturated colors as the scene is lit by strong late afternoon light. There is no subtlety of color to be found here.
The house and most details are painted in warm tones and are offset by the cooler colors of lawn and sky. The overall effect is a pleasing contrast.
Note that the subject fills the entire width of the canvas as it did on the brochure. Of course with a canvas this small it couldn’t have been made too much smaller and still have the detail I wanted to include.
I was able to do the painting at night after the lively 6 year old boran2 boy was safely tucked in bed. I painted slowly and enjoyed the process. I am happy with the result and have it framed already. My usual framing timetable can run into, umm, < whispering > years. The frame is composed of oak and was purchased at a local retail store. It was actually a photo frame from which I removed the carboard back and glass. It works well with the colors of the work and has the additional bonus of being cheap. I was originally intending to obtain a gallery frame but perhaps it is not really necessary.
Next week, the photos of my plein air “experience”. Tune in next week, same time, same channel.
