A gentle intro to psychedelia

One of the (many) joys of being in central California was the knowledge that most days I could get out to paint.  The weather on the coast can often start off foggy (and surprising cool) but most days the sun chased the mist away, exposing a rugged coastine, trees that we dont see the like of in the UK,  close encounters with wildlife and pleasant temperatures.  I think October is a good time to visit, and this October was particularly hot for the first week.  Wind, as is often the case, was the biggest foe.
 
I had made prior contact with some local artists and was able to join in with two different groups of plein air artists.  This saved me hours of driving round looking for suitable locations, and I got to some places that I would never have found on my own.  Thank you for your welcome and advice.

My first outing was to Cambria, a charming coastal town some 20 miles north of Morro Bay where my brother lives.  I met up with the Wednesday Irregulars at the gallery of Art Van Rhyn, a charmingly laid back guitar strumming artist of some considerable vintage. 
From there we went just up the road to Leffingwell Landing.  The day started misty but soon revealed a sparkling view of Moonstone Beach, framed by ancient  Monterey Cypresses contorted and disfigured by their efforts to survive in this savagely saline environment.

My palette was singularly british (probably due to the early mist) but as the morning progressed I stuck with it, avoiding the temptation to burst into the delightful Californian psychedelia evident in many local artists' work.

I did adjust my selection of pigments the next time around. 

I was pleasantly surprised when I looked at my photo later just how close the drawing was to the photo.  That is Art painting to the left of the tree.  I would have liked to include him in the painting but it didn't do much for the composition!

Moonstone Beach from Leffingwell Landing
Oil on canvas
9x11"

Reading and smiling

I get a twice weekly letter from Robert Genn (not personal - just a free subscription), mostly makes me smile, usually interesting, occasionally I don't bother with it, but I always love his paintings, and I love the thought of his Bugaboo helipainting trips... One day maybe....
Here is a clip that made me smile in a knowing kind of way:

"There's a great story in David Bayles and Ted Orland's Art and Fear. Here it is:

"The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of the work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality. His procedure was simple: On the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work in the "quantity" group: fifty pounds of pots rated an "A", forty pounds a "B" and so on. Those being graded on "quality," however, needed to produce only one pot--albeit a perfect one--to get an "A". Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of the highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the "quantity" group was busy turning out piles of work--and learning from their mistakes--the "quality" group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.""

I am back from my California trip and I will post some more paintings as soon as I have unpacked.

Find more of Robert Genns gems at
http://clicks.robertgenn.com/two-artists.php

Don't know how he finds time to paint!


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California Dreaming

I am in California for a holiday visiting my brother and his family. I have taken the opportunity to do a bit of exploring and painting. There is so much that is paintable here, and hundreds of artists painting. The light is very Mediterranean and I am having real issues changing from my English palette. As I am only using 6 basic colours it is a question of mixing differently rather than changing pigments, but it is a useful exercise. I am also trying to take account of what I have learned from my online course with Larry Seiler at the ArtistsNetworkUniversity about colour values. I have pushed the contrasts to give more punch to my painting.

Today I visited some local artists studios, as part of San Luis Obispo Open Art Studio Trail. I particularly chose artists who work in a colourist way, as that is the route I would like to take once I am in my comfort zone working in oils. I feel really inspired now but I am not sure I can handle it yet. It might be wise to experiment in the studio, rather than being overwhelmed by changing colours whilst working in the great outdoors. Tomorrow I am going to visit another artist near here who has been very helpful in pointing me towards painting groups here, perhaps I will ask her advice.




Bayshore Restaurant Morro Bay.
Oils on canvas
9 x 11"









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Location:Morro Bay,United States

Online study

I have been doing an online study course recently, led by American artist Larry Seiler.  Other than a few issues finding my way round the site used (ArtistsNetworkUniversity) the content has been really valuable.
We have been doing exercises concentrating on getting good value contrasts.  This is an area that has proved difficult for me in the past, and together with the discipline of working small and fast I think the long term results will be beneficial.  I just hope I can translate what I have learnt when I revert to my normal, undirected, plein air work.

These are the three pieces I submitted for week three, they are all oil on gessoed paper (a new substrate for me - I will blog about that later) 5x7" (another 'new for me') done with a very limited palette and three pre-mixed tones of each colour.

I will go back and do bigger paintings of some of these.  I look forward to what we have to do for the final week.

Heading for the heights..

A long way to the sea
Doronne de Chaviere at Roc de la Peche
Parc National de la Vanoise
12 x 9" oils on board

Walk, wine, weather.  A heady mix, but what better way to spend a late summer Saturday in the Alps.  We hiked up to Roc de la Peche for a delicious lunch, happily my lovely husband helped carry my gear (note to self - organise lighter kit for next trip).  After lunch I went down into a ravine to paint at the side of the river (the very same that lower down the mountain was the subject of my last post). I only had a couple of hours until the sun sank behind the very high cliff alongside me, so I made haste and tried to cut short chatting to curious bypassers.

I made a good start, got the blocking in done, noted the colours of the river, which were spectacular, and the fantastic hues of the cliffside reflecting light from the water and the hillside across.  I probably got 75% of the painting under my belt before the sun slipped behind the mountian, probably sooner than it would have done had I been in a more open situation, but perhaps as well as I still had an hours trek down to where my car was parked.

I am now starting to get used to working with my limited palette of six colours plus black and white, and I think it helps give unity to the finished work as all the colours, shades and tints consist of  a really small and common collection of pigments.

I hope I get lots more opportunity to get out to paint plein air before winter closes in.  For the next four weeks I am doing an online study course dealing with values, so mostly I will be doing exercises rather than finished paintings.  Expect a short hiatus, then hopefully some improvement in my value studies!

Backwoods

Doronne de Chaviere at Pont de Gerlon
Oils on board
12x9"

It has been a few days since I got out to paint, due to being on the road and weather not being suitable (bit of a fair weather painter, me), but the last couple of days have been as lovely in the Alps as it has been in the UK

I found myself a lovely secluded spot by the river, which a couple of days before had been in spate, but now was just babbling.  I couldn't see the track, the road or people.  Idyllic.  Or so I first though.  I had previously being reading an article about someone painting in Alaska, with advice on what to do should you encounter a bear.  Being fearless, I thought about it no more.  No bears in these mountains. However,  it is remarkable what the imagination does in a quiet situation.  I spent most of the two hour session hearing crackling branches and seeing movements in my peripheral vision.  But happily no bears disturbed my peace.

In the end I packed up a) because I was chilly, b) because I was getting really confused by what I was looking at and in my efforts to simplify I kept loosing my place, and c) because we were due to meet friends for a drink.

Today I finished off what was a satisfactory start.  My natural inclination is to put in more and more detail, but seeing my efforts on the computer screen convinced me to leave it as it was, although it was the bubbling waters and little cascades that attracted me in the first place.  Review tomorrow!

I can never quite capture the wonderful colours of the glacial melt waters gushing over the stunning hues of the rocks.  I will just have to go back more often to practise.  No hardship. Bears permitting.

Scarecrow festival Thornton le Dale

This week sees a scarecrow festival in our village.  They are very popular in this area, some places being very much better than others.  I suspect that those who have been doing it longer have evolved   a greater level of Worzel Gummaging than others.
I think this is the first one here, but the standard was pretty high, and certainly provided much interest for the hundreds of ice-cream licking tourists who wander the streets of the village looking for something more to look at.
I bravely took to the main street to paint it.  For such an attractive village there aren't all that many 'ready made' painting locations,  indeed even the postcards on sale in the shops only have a limited choice of views, mainly centered on the thatched cottage that I posted about recently.
The structure of the cottages was really complicated to sort out, and I abandoned my first attempt as I had strayed away from the initial sketch I did in my sketchbook, and it was already starting to get more formal that I wanted.  The careful approach is my fall back position when I am struggling with a difficulty (in this case getting the drawing right), but for my second attempt I had sorted out in my mind what went where so I made better progress.
On reflection I think I have got some way towards the simple statement in the painting of the cottages.  I think it might look better overall if I crop down the left and bottom by a few centimetres.  As it is painted on a board that I made myself at least I know that the canvas will be firmly adhered and it won't suffer unduly from the attentions of a stanley knife.

Scarecrow Festival Thornton le Dale

oils on canvas board

10x8"

Still on the chocolate box trail

Hutton le Hole this time, a favourite North Yorkshire haunt of tourists, for good reason, a really pretty village and the gateway to the open moors.
The streets are narrow so no parking, which means quite a walk with kit from the official car park, and with rain threatening to boot I had to take my brolly just in case.
In some places it is useful to shade the painting from the glare of the sun, but on this occasion it was essential to protect the painting (and the artist) from the frequent downpours.

Nonetheless I had a good day, and the net effect of no sun is that the light remains fairly constant so you can work a bit longer without chasing shadows.

The stream at Hutton le Hole
oils on canvas on board
8x10"

Chocolate anyone?

I am not a natural blogger so I constantly have to remind myself to update here.  I sometimes feel it is a waste of time because I have only three followers, but I hope others do occasionally come across it.  In reality it is more for a permanent record of my progress, or lack of it, currently in the plein air field, but more generally of my artistic journey.

We have lived in Thornton le Dale for four years now, almost next door to the most painted cottage in all of North Yorkshire.
The path where you need to stand to get a good view is swarming with people, admiring the view and enjoying the delightful quintessential cottage garden in front of the cottage, but it makes it a hard task to concentrate on making a painting.

I got the initial drawing badly wrong; never a good start, but the light soon disappeared behind the wall so I had to retreat, armed with a photograph.  As soon as I got home I could see the error of my ways and was able to correct, and finish the painting quite quickly, but it is much harder in a studio situation to be generous with the brush strokes.
The limitations of time are removed and everything becomes much more considered.  I prefer being surrounded by lots of fresh air and little time to consider, even if one does have to take on board the onlookers and the facile comments (although I am sure most are well intentioned, I don't think people realise how much you need to concentrate)

Beck Cottage, Thornton le Dale

oil on board

10x8"

A short walk in high pastures

I have been concentrating my efforts on reducing my payload.  To that end I have cut my colour selection down to 6 + white, less brushes, less everything, so that I can manage to hike without needing a pack donkey or a porter.
This trip, which was my first sortie more than 100 metres from my car, took me a 45 minute uphill trek to one of my favourite spots near the Refuge de Roque de la Peche.
It was in full sun so I was relieved to have taken my brolly.  It takes a bit of securing to prevent it being blown away and taking my set up with it, but the shade it affords enables me to see the colours, and the intensity in a more accurate manner.
As usual it need a couple of tweaks when I got back home, but it now takes its rightful position amongst my ever growing collection of mountain views.  A friend has made a rustic style of frame for me.  I really like the effect, it suits the mountain paintings very well.  I will post a photograph shortly.
In the mean time here is

Le Gorge de Montaiment

Oil on panel

12 x 9"

L'Auberge des Fontanettes with new clothes

Auberge des Fontanettes

9x12"

Oils on panel

It is my intention to spend the entire year painting only in oils.  I feel that until you are confident, competant and comfortable with a medium, chopping and changing can prove to be more than just a distraction.  I spent a year painting in nothing but acrylics until I got a handle on them.  Now it is the turn of oils, but I think I have come home at last.

This is one of our favourite mountain retreats, but without it's cloak of snow it looks quite different.  I have painted it many times, but I think it does no harm to revisit, (and I can always call in and get a refreshing drink when it gets hot and tiring).

The dark shadow isnt on the paiting, it is the shadow of the easel holder.  The paint was very wet so I didnt really want to move it or I would get oil paint all over my camera.  Not good.

My paintings are always for sale. Please email me if you are interested.

Babbling brooks

From high up in the mountains above Pralognan the glacier melt babbles down towards the village, passing on its way a few summer hamlets. Les Prioux is one of these, and from below you can just see the roofs peeping over the hillside.
It was a lovely day but the sneaky wind meant I had to wear my husbands old sailing jacket over my shorts to keep warm. Everyone else was in full summer gear, but when you are standing still it can be chilly up high.

I am still in oil mode. This one is painted on a beige linen canvas glued to an archival board. I really like the surface to work on. I am now only using six colours plus white, it certainly makes my pack lighter to carry. I have abandoned my chair, I find oil painting easier from a standing position, but still need to carry my tripod, pochade box and an umbrella. Without the umbrella to shade the canvas it distorts the way you see colour and the finished paintings get very dark (or at least mine do!). The difficulty when it is windy is to prevent the umbrella being blown away, together with your setup. Oh the problems of being a plein air artist!

Vers les Prioux
Oils on canvas
30x30cms


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Location:Rue des Grands Prés,Pralognan-la-Vanoise,France

Land of big pointy mountains

Where the sun doesn't shine all the time! Trying to avoid the rain I spotted this view, which I have painted before in watercolour, but this time it was almost all grey.  The distant mountains kept dissappearing behind a heavy veil of clouds, and sometimes just a fat sausage of cloud obscured the middle distance.  The painting looked very dark when I got home so I had to liven up the foreground, although on checking my reference photos there were times when the light appeared from nowhere and illuminated parts of the scene.  You can see the ski slopes on the bottom left, carving their route through the trees.  They look very odd denuded of their habitual cloak of snow.
Vallee de la Glière, Pralognan la Vanoise
Oils on linen board
30x30 cms

Old location, new medium

I am very much enjoying painting plein air (outside in the fresh air) in oils with all it's associated problems.

I revisited a favourite location up the mountain and painted it in oils instead of my previous watercolours or pastels. I am going to revisit lots of my favourite haunts and do the same, I just need to rationalise my kit to make it more easily portable, the one thing I can't afford to leave behind is my brolly, the strong mountain sun on the painting panel results in some very dark paintings that require quite a lot of adjustment when I get back home. In my mind that's not quite in the spirit of plein air painting, but is pretty inevitable anyway.

Hameau des Fontanettes
Oils on linen canvas board
30x30cms





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Location:Pralognan la Vanoise, Savoie, France

To the hills, to the hills

I thought it was about time I painted something in our village. This is a tiny chapel in the old town, always surrounded by parked cars. I don't do cars, perhaps it's a girl thing, but I couldn't avoid them this time. I will scout around for more scenes around the village, but a lot of it is less picturesque without snow.
I have noticed that the French are much more respectful of your private space as an artist, and always ask if they want to look, mostly they just ignore me!

Pralognan, old town
9x12"
Oils on canvas




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Location:Pralognan la Vanoise, Savoie, France

Another fine day

This is the second day painting with Robert Brindley. I have found his oil painting book 'Painting landscapes in oils' to be a great help, particularly his advice on using a limited palette, makes the paintbox much lighter to carry!

This is the same subject as yesterday but from further across the bay. It needs a couple of adjustment, and I think the addition of some figures would help too. Fortunately as I was painting a man and a little girl were playing at the waters edge so I took a reference photo which I will use to add them later.

Runswick Bay
10x8"
Oils on board



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Location:Runswick Bay, Cleveland

Veg patch overlooking the sea, won't need added salt.

I spent a great day in Runswick Bay, north of Whitby, today. I had always thought it was Yorkshire but the satnav said Cleveland. So I looked it up. Cleveland was a non metropolitan county set up in 1974 and set down in 1996 so my satnav is seriously out of date. Anyhow I got there without problems.

After having coffee with my fellow group members and watching a splendid watercolour demo by Robert Brindley, my eye was taken by a small potager overlooking the sea. That was my subject for the day. Luckily the rain held off and the light remained bright although the sun was very fleeting but at least it meant I didn't spend the day chasing shadows.

My task was to paint with a limited palette, using a warm and a cool version of each primary plus white (I will own up to the occasional addition of some Permanent Mauve primarily for the buddleia in front of the house but also echoed in the fruit of the palm tree). My second objective was to simplify my strokes and not let the detail become overwhelming.
It is still wet so is sitting in my wet panel carrier - hence the wooden surround, but I think it will look good in a plain wooden frame.
I will leave it up to you to decide how successful I have been!

Veg patch Runswick Bay
Oils on canvas on board
10 x 8"






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Location:Runswick Bay, North Yorkshire

Blazing Poppies

This subject has a particular fondness for me, the lane in the distance leads up to our old house,  I always used to feel when I turned off the main road up towards home that I was heading to my own bit of paradise.

I was taken by the vivid redness of the poppies massed in the fields, I went very early in the morning to try to catch the raking light but it was so windy it was me who was raking. My second visit was a little easier but the light wasn't so bright, however the memory remained with me.

I was initially a bit disappointed when I got back home with my finished painting, it didn't seems as vivid as when I was on the spot, despite me being aware now that I tend to minimise the contrasts. I am trying really hard to remedy that, but when I look at it against the photograph I took at the time the impression is pretty close to the reality.

This is part of my big push to say more with less (fewer marks that is, less fussy). In that respect I think this painting is going in the right direction.

Poppies below Wydale
oils on canvas
15 x 25 cm
all my paintings are for sale, please email me if you are interested.

Plein air here we come

I finally sorted myself out with the where-withall to paint outdoor in oils. In October last when I went to Tuscany to paint with Maddine Insalaco of Etruscan Places, I had a blast with a great group of American painters, but more importantly it gave me the confidence to try the great outdoors myself. Sorting out the ideal kit isn't always straightforward and can be expensive but I managed to buy a second hand pochade box through painters-online.co.uk, so now I had no more excuses. My first sortie was about 500 metres from home, an alternative view of a much painted cottage in our village of Thornton le Dale,  North Yorkshire.
This tidy, representational style is a leftover from my days as a graphic designer, and is my fall back position when I am out of my comfort zone, in this case working outside in a relatively new medium.  As I do more I will work to be looser, but I know a lot of people who buy my work like this style.  Quandry..... but I must move on to progress.

Thornton Beck
oils on canvas
24 x 18.5 cms

All my paintings are for sale.  If you are interested please email me.

Vines Campriano, late evening

Last October I went to Campriano in Tuscany with a group of American painters specifically to paint plein air (outside) in oils.  I came back with half a dozen paintings, some less successful than others.  This was the one I liked best, but it didn't quite work as I had hoped.  I revisited it recently, strengthened the contrasts in the foreground vines and changed the hue of some of the shadows.  It pleases me more now, and reminds me of a good holiday with a great bunch of people.  I thoroughly recommend Maddine Insalaco and her painting courses.

Vines at Campriano
22x27 cms
oils on canvas
all my paintings are for sale, please email me if you are interested.