Parklands #5

Parklands #5, oil on Arches paper, 16x12"

I had a lot of trouble with this painting all the way around.  I don't know if it was the combination of the inorganic and the organic, which the other paintings in the Parklands series don't have, or that I was rusty.  I will chalk it up to both at this point.  I don't like getting rusty but it happens.  I had two different versions of this painting prior to going back in and re-doing the whole thing. The alternative would have been to scrub it. I eventually gathered my long, lost focus and reworked it. I re-sketched the entire composition, resized it all, and tried to squint at my photo to see and compose larger shapes.  I did a lot of overpainting on what remained of the other versions. One good thing about the oil paper that I have been using is it is very rag-like and absorbent, so there is no way to ever get a clean slate. It makes me rethink what color palette I will use henceforth, thus making "take two" more interesting all the way around.

Parklands #4

Parklands #4, oil on Arches oil paper, 16x12"

I feel like I am gaining momentum with each new painting in this series.  This painting was done from a photo reference with very little light variations. I painted it that way but added a lot more color. 

On a personal note, today is the last day of my Spring Break, and I am already feeling a bit melancholy. I have gotten into a nice routine of waking up, finishing a painting that I started late the night before, posting it, then deciding where I will hike or bike for the day, to explore and take photos.  In other words, doing exactly what I want to do, which I rarely get an opportunity to experience.  I was very productive this past week, so I will heed a warning now, my painting is about to slow back down, much to my chagrin. Thanks for the support I have received through the evolution of the Parklands series. Any artist will admit that comments and "likes" help to keep us going.  So I'm not sure if this will be the last of the series or not. I still have a few interesting photos I want to explore through paint. We will see what this next week brings :-)

Windy Bernheim

Windy Bernheim, oil on gessobord, 8x10"

Yesterday, to take advantage of a rain-less day, I took Rothko (see pic below) to Bernheim to paint and hike.  I wanted to continue with the vast, tiered landscapes of the Parklands series (which will continue hopefully tomorrow), so I set up near the Educational Building, stuck my set-up around a corner of the building to use as a wind block. The wind gusts still found us, and at times I was having to hold the pochade box with one strong hand or risk the entire set-up blowing over. It was an adventure that took a lot of laughing, and having Rothko there to helped me sustain. Out of these conditions came this sweet little landscape. 

Parklands #3

Parklands #3, oil on Arches oil paper, 16x12"

I've been using wonderful references photos as a starting point for for my paintings in this series, but eventually I reach a jumping off point and focus on what's unfolding.  These painting have definitely been an experiment for me. When I gave up painting in 1990, I had reached a point where mark making was just as much a part of the final interpretation, as the image itself.  When I returned to painting (almost 2 years ago) I thought I would pick up where I left off. I was wrong, wrong, wrong. But that's ok, because in all the experimentation, I had the opportunity to explore different methods, re-learn aspects of painting that where forgotten, and learn what I like and what I don't.  This is still evolving and will continue to do so. For now, I am struggling with working through a painting and not giving up on it. I guess this is a metaphor for  a lot of things in our individual lives - not giving up. I will always be an eternal student, so as frustrating as the challenge can be at times, I welcome it. 

Parklands #2

Parklands #2, oil on Arches oil paper, 16x12"

This is the 2nd in the Parklands series. It was much more difficult to accomplish/finish, but the second one usually is. I was listening to a podcast of a contemporary artist's interview yesterday. She was saying she usually has 5 paintings going at once. I could not wrap my head around that concept when I heard it'. But today as I have given it more thought, I am actually thinking of attempting it. I've been in a gear-shifting mode with my painting style, and working on several at once, just may be the answer to continuity. When I start something 24+ hours later, I tend to lose momentum. This (hopefully) will help it will continue.

Parklands #1

Parklands #1, oil on Arches oil paper, 16x12"

Yesterday, I went hiking in two different rural parks in the Louisville area. It was a beautiful, uplifting experience that yielded many photos consciously shot to use as references for drawing/painting.  I decided after reviewing them on my computer, that it was time for another series. And since I am attempting to use more abstraction, what better time then now.  Here is the first, which I worked and reworked, wiping and scraping paint on and off.  There were a few moments that I wanted to give up on it, but the photo kept drawing me back in to the actual moment I was there. Plein air painting from memory!!!!  Hopefully, I will be able to begin painting 2 with a bit more spring in my step!

Deep Space

Deep Space, oil on gessoed hardboard, 8x10"

My latest landscape done early this morning. Working towards more abstraction. Baby steps for now and it feels good.