Blog

It's been unseasonably hot this week and exceptionally smoky due to the horrible local fires plaguing our area. Deciding that health and comfort should influence my painting choices, I decided not to go outside and paint more trees.

I also didn't really want to paint from a photo even though I have many photos and am not adverse to using photos as references.

Hmmm... what to do... okay a still life seemed appropriate. I had fruit, something glass, something metallic and I have hibiscus plants outside.

I used a red-toned canvas because I've enjoyed seeing the results that other bloggers have when they use this. Unfortunately, as you can see, I didn't leave too much of the red showing and thus didn't use the red tone to its best advantage. Owing to the items I was using, I decided on a red-green complementary scheme and began to paint, trying to add texture and brushwork where I wanted the eye to fall. I moved things around until I had a composition I thought was pleasing where the shapes moved the eye around the canvas without sending it off the edge of the painting. This time I tried setting up the still life near my north-west facing window to see if I could get some interesting light.

I enjoyed myself and, of course got in some valuable painting practice. I blocked most of it in for about 2 hours then had to go somewhere. I was surprised when I returned that evening to find that hibiscus flowers really don't last very long. (See photo on the right... blinds are closed but flowers are too!)

I came back several times in the next couple of days to revisit and refine the still life.

Happy painting - enjoy yourselves.