More California

Before I start publishing my winter paintings I thought I had best post the rest of my California paintings from October, very remiss of me, but as I do this more of a record for myself than for the greater good here we go.
I find it interesting to look back on work of 6 months ago as I see them with a much more critical eye, and can identify the issues that I need to deal with in future paintings.

The first is a view of the iconic rock in Morro Bay.  it is painted from the favourite beach where my nieces and nephew love to play.  I got so carried away by trying to do a fairly accurate rendition of the view that I forgot all about my aims to work looser.

Morro Rock  10x12" oils on paper

As I mentioned in a previous post, I was lucky to join a couple of local plein air groups, both of whom welcomed me with open arms.  It allowed me access to some private locations and took me to some spots I would never have found in a million years.

This one was an old farm down a small road heading inland.  The farmer came out with a tray of oranges that he had just picked from the tree in front of his house.  His family had lived in the house for generations and he had some fantastic photos of the old times.  We were watched all morning by his cows, just over the fence from where we were working.  I would have loved to go back and do a bigger painting.

Californian homestead.  Oils on paper.  10x12"

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.