Spring is here.

It is so good to be painting outside in comfort again.  Not that it was a very tough winter.  I absolutely love and prefer to be painting outside but it is not without its challenges.  For me the comfort level isn't an issue.  The real challenge is dealing with the ever changing humidity.  While painting "Spring Creek" the warm spring sun and good breeze were drying my paper much faster than I would have liked.  I was very unhappy with this when I got home but after a half hour in my studio making a few compositional changes I am okay with it.  I certainly enjoyed the process even if it was challenging.

Where has the time gone?

Obviously I haven't been painting much however getting out painting in the good weather the last couple of Tuesdays, joining the Ontario Plein Air Society and a brief chat with Ian Thomas after his concert Saturday night have me motivated again.  I have been struggling the last few times out but I am posting the last painting that I feel is at least reasonable. 

This watercolour is 11" X 15" and was painted "en plein air" I did some research and originally titled this "Cold Springs Grist Mill" however after a chat with the property owner I learned that it was actually a woolen mill.  Oops.

I need to get painting again.

I have been so busy working at our Scout Camp and planning a trip tp the UK that I haven't painted in ages. Hopefully I will paint every day of our trip.



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Tuesday was a good day

Yesterday was good.  Not great but good.  The morning was a bit of a scramble at the start because we had to quickly change classrooms as there were construction people in the loft at DVSA.  It took a while to settle down and paint but it went well.  Not a great painting because I was rushed and also I used too much water so the shadow of Eddies jaw line all washed away.  I am getting more familiar with the new pigments on my portraits palette and that is a good thing.

The evening class went well too. Everyone loves Hillview farm and the lighting was perfect.  It kept changing which made painting a bit tricky but up until the last half hour or so there was great back lighting on the trees and nice long shadows.  Beautiful sky with fluffy clouds for those painting it.  A perfect setting for our last class.  Catherine said that none of us were ready to graduate so we all had to come back in September.  I suspect that most of us will.

This painting is all greens but I need practice with them.  Especially if I am going to keep painting outside all summer.  The greens in the centre tree need to be a bit darker to fit with the trunks but I am pleased with this.

  

Missed a day guilt

I didn't even manage to paint every day for two weeks before I missed a day.  A son who is moving out west and an adorable 14 month old grandson who needed to be looked after for a few hours were more important to me.  I had a fantastic day with family but do feel really guilty for not painting.

I did paint today.  More greens and not very impressive but I had fun playing with the plants.  I still need more practice knowing when scratching out will give me white and when it is too wet and will give me a dark line.  I find it easy to tell when I'm in my studio but it is much more difficult when I'm outside and it's humid.  This painting is the bridge over our little creek and some of the water plants in the pond.  It is nowhere near finished but as finished as it is going to get,

It definitely needs more contrast.

Saturday at camp

I spend Saturdays at our local Scout Camp and had some quiet time so I decided to paint.  Everything around me was green except the almost white trunks of these very tall poplars.  Maybe by the summer I will learn how to put some colour into green paintings.  I tried to scratch out the light trunks too early and ended with dark trunks so when I put darker layers on I painted around them.  I tried, rather unsuccessfully to mask the dark lines.  I am not unhappy with this painting.

Doug - painted Friday

This is a gargoyle sitting beside the creek in our yard. His name is Jackson but I call him "Doug"

He isn't very well painted but I ran out of time. The lilac could have used a few more leaves and he needs to be better grounded. The rocks that he is sitting on should be darker. He is probably the strangest portrait that I have ever painted.

I have now painted every day for a week.