Some Plein Air, and an Experiment, cont'd

Been working on many projects in the studio, but also taking some time to do a bit of on-location drawing and painting with some fellow DIS members. This study is of a garden off an alley in my neighborhood. The place has always fascinated me. I finished this at around 12:30 pm. It is 5" x 7".

Yeah it's November in Denver and there's still green grass and living plants. That's creepy. 

I took this photo around 10:00 am, before I began the pen drawing which I then filled in with watercolor. Then we got hungry and left for lunch.

Here are a couple more, done a few weeks earlier. Both studies are approx. 3" x 4".

An update from the last two posts: I'm still completely off of Facebook (outside of checking on events) and

 only occasionally looking at Instagram.

 

What I've noticed in 20 days since the beginning of An Experiment :

 

1. Still feeling better mentally; much lighter and more content.

 

2. I'm now sleeping through the night, every night. 

(Prior to bailing on social media I'd gotten used to waking around two or three am and not being able to fall back asleep for an hour or so. Previously, I seldom looked at screens late in the evening and never checked my phone during the night, so the new sleep habits have nothing to do with that. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I don't think so.)

 

3. I'm reading a ton, compared to the last 6 months. That's no coincidence.

 

4. Still really don't want to jump back onto social media--it sounds less and less inviting.

I must be incredibly sensitive to Facebook. Oh well.

 

And that's about it--thanks for the visit!

 

My Prelim Process

Detail crop of a recent painting.

I used to do detailed drawings and transfer them to the painting surface. But pretty sure that skipping that step has given my work a freshness it would lose with all the re-drawing and transferring.

Now I do preliminary composition sketches. Here's the one I chose for the painting above. I get carried away with the details and values sometimes, but I find working up the sketches to be relaxing and fun!

Here's an example of one for a different painting. I like to use red pencil first. I've found using red--instead of a graphite pencil--frees me up a bit for some reason.

This is a sketch page of some prelims for Sir Baffle and the Dragon...

 

...and here is the finished acrylic painting.

 

Thanks for checking out my blog!

 

A Tiny Bit of Peace

Shacks. Lawren Stewart Harris

I needed to see something new, raw, and beautiful this week. And I found it. 

There's a lot of good left in this world, and much more to come. 

Art gives me hope. Artists give me hope.

Thanks for the visit.

Painting Outside in Gouache and Oils

Plein Air Study: Carson Nature Center, South Platte River Trail

Gouache on Crescent Board

Painting on location regularly again has been good for me both emotionally and artistically. There's nothing like getting out into the natural world to center oneself, and translating what one sees into line, value, and color can't help but result in better art production.

I like painting in gouache and watercolor for its convenience and simplicity, but decided to get back to oils for a change. Headed out to the Highline Canal the other day and saw this scene.

Here's my translation of it.

Decided to use a limited palette since it'd been awhile since I'd painted plein air with oils. Been using Winsor & Newton's Ultramarine, Alizarin, Cad Yellow Light, and Rembrandt's Burnt Umber, and White.

My alley neighbor is an amazing gardener, and has gorgeous hops vines growing over his fence and gate. This study was done on a piece of cardboard (hence the horizontal line texture).

My yard has a big Blue Spruce in the corner. I got locked out of the house the other day. I had my paintbox, but no canvas or cardboard. 

Luckily there was a two-by-four behind the garage, which was a decent enough surface for this study.

I like all media, but there's really something special about oil paints. I hope I can do them justice someday soon.

Thanks for checking out my blog!

Starting to Paint like Myself

https://www.facebook.com/mikeyzart/

Here I am, looking cranky, working on a plein air painting last Sunday. I'm not irritated at all--just concentrating. The morning was perfect for watermedia, being cool and cloudy with high humidity. And it was a gorgeous setting. The photos and painting above are by Mike Kloepfer, who joined me for an early excursion.

Since doing more plein air work (with the DIS Plein Air Club) my skill--and confidence--has grown. Both are huge, as both were needed.

https://www.facebook.com/tom.sarmo

 The thing that excites me the most? I'm beginning to paint, finally, like me. Prior to hitting the plein air thing seriously, my style (kind of hate that term) was not visible in the studies. I'd get out there and work like a dog at painting what I saw, and the works were all over the board. This new emergence feels much better. This is the second time I've used gouache.

https://www.facebook.com/tom.sarmo

 Here is the first--that paint is magical and a blast to use!

On Sunday, we chose to paint the same bridge, and Mike's piece was definitely more accurate. The atmosphere that morning was all misty and cool greys. I'd pre-grounded my watercolor paper with a warm golden brown, so my study looks like a sunny day. A mistake, but I still like the piece.

https://www.facebook.com/mikeyzart/

Here's Mike's--he nailed it!

See more of Mike's amazing work here: Mike Kloepfer's Art 

and thanks for checking in!